Three Precious Words
by ChokolateKiss
Summary: Chuck and Blair after their reunion in 2.25. No spoilers for season 3, just my take on how the new season might go. Rated T for some future language and violence maybe. Reviews are always welcome. Mild spoilers for 2.25 in chapter one.
1. Chapter 1

* * The beginning of this chapter has some spoilers from Gossip Girl episode 2.25 (season 2) * *

Chapter One

Three words, eight letters, eight syllables. He had finally said it. Chuck Bass, the womanizer with a heart so fragile who had drank his way into adulthood had finally said those three precious words to Blair.

* * *

Blair stood surprised as he handed her the second gift he was holding. Although she was smiling on the inside, knowing now that he had gone to Europe because of her, her insecurities of how he felt resurfaced once more.

"What are you doing here then?" she asked almost harshly.

His smile disappeared followed by a genuine seriousness that she had become accustomed to.

"You were right," he began quietly. "I was a coward running away again. But everywhere I went, you caught up with me. So I had to come back."

She looked deep into his eyes for a moment before looking down at the presents she held in her hands.

"I want to believe you," she started to say and looked up to see a hopeful look on his face. "But you've hurt me too many times."

"You can believe me this time," he said softly, the hurt in his eyes mirroring her own.

She stared into his eyes once more before letting out a sigh.

"That's it?" she asked, holding back the tears she knew were about to appear.

His face relaxed and his expression grew softer, giving Blair an ounce of hope as to what he might say. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, he finally smiled.

"I love you too," he stated.

Blair let out a shaky breath she had been holding and burst into a happy smile. Tossing her arms around his neck, she pulled him towards her and crushed her lips onto his. The kiss wasn't greedy, sloppy or short like she had experienced with Nate and Lord Marcus. It had the right amount of passion, softness and love behind it that made her toes curl and the hairs on her skin stand straight. It was perfect.

"Like, can you say it again?" she asked, pulling away slightly to look into his eyes.

He gave her a genuine, happy smile before they both chuckled and leaned in to kiss once more.

"I'm serious, say it again," she said with another laugh as he tightened his arms around her small frame.

"I love you, I love you," he mumbled between kisses. "That's three. Four: I love you."

They continued kissing in the middle of the sidewalk, oblivious to the stares of the people passing them by.

* * *

Blair had felt a giant weight lifted off of her heart the moment those words escaped his lips. It was as if all of the lies, betrayal and pain they had caused one another were now nothing more than a fleeting memory.

Blair Waldorf had spent the better part of her adolescence chasing after her then boyfriend Nate Archibald. To Blair, Nate was what every boy should be: good-looking and well-mannered with a respectable family name. With a version of her personal fairytale concocted in her mind, she tried desperately hard to hold onto him. It didn't matter how many times he had hurt her, she would always ignore his faults because she loved him, or so she thought.

Things changed when her best friend Serena returned from a six month exile to reveal that she and Nate had slept together before her disappearance. Desperate to hold onto her fairytale, she forgave Nate almost immediately. But things were far from okay and Blair finally found the courage to do what she should have done long ago. On the eve of Victrola's opening, a burlesque club Chuck had bought, two very important things had happened. First, she had broken up with Nate and second, instead of going to Serena for comfort, she had gone to Chuck.

Although he had offered to listen to her problems, something Chuck Bass _never_ did, she had simply wanted to find an escape. Shedding her clothes with nothing but her satin negligee left, Blair stepped onto the stage and had given the crowd a seductive dance. Thinking back on that night, Blair realized that she had never felt freer or more wanted up until that point in her life. The way Chuck's dark eyes followed her every move like a hawk should have made her run for the exit, but she rather enjoyed the attention he was giving her.

That's when everything changed. As Chuck drove Blair home in his limo, she had leaned over to kiss him. Even today, she's not sure why she did what she did, but a part of her ached for someone to hold her that night, even if it was her ex-boyfriend's best friend. In a voice so soft and so unlike the Chuck she knew, he had asked her if she was sure. Not giving her mind a moment to think twice, Blair had leaned in and kissed him again. Losing her virginity to Chuck in the back of his limo, although not very classy, had ultimately been the best decision Blair had ever made.

Their affair continued for a bit until her cotillion. Blair had known by then that he had developed real feelings for her and was afraid because she had begun returning them. But everything went wrong that night in what remains a blur to Blair. She and Chuck had argued, he had ruined her cotillion and she had ended the night by sleeping with Nate. Although she had every right to be angry at Chuck, a part of her never forgave herself for sleeping with Nate that night. She had especially regretted it when Nate had later told her that Chuck had seen them going into the room together.

Nate had eventually uncovered the affair and had severed all ties with both of them. Having no where else to go when even her minions at school denied her, she went to Chuck only to have him turn away from her too. If Blair were being honest, the pain she felt when Nate walked away from her didn't compare to the emptiness she had felt when Chuck did.

After Serena's problems eventually brought the four friends back together, she and Chuck had begun being civil to one another once more. Then came Bart and Lily's wedding. Chuck had given a speech about true love and had gazed at Blair the entire time, stirring up the same butterflies and emotions in her as before.

Giving their relationship a second try, they spent an entire week surrounded by happy bliss. Chuck even invited her to Tuscany with him, but ended up bailing on her at the last minute, leaving her to go there humiliated and alone. The time she wasn't crying over him she had spent analyzing why he had left her. She often thought it was payback for hurting him months ago by getting back together with Nate. But as more time passed, her sadness faded away and was replaced by a solid hatred.

When she eventually returned to New York, she had brought back with her a consolation prize named Lord Marcus. He was boring and dull but caused just the right amount of jealousy from Chuck to make her feel a little satisfied. Even though she was still angry at him, she asked Chuck at the White Party what would become the first of many times to tell her those three precious words. She vowed to forgive him and take him back, but he never did. Even after the sham with Marcus ended when it was revealed that he had been sleeping with his step-mother on the side, the back and forth between Chuck and Blair continued. Both asked the other to say those words, but neither ever could. No amount of seduction or foreplay from either side proved to be successful.

But everything changed around Christmas when Bart Bass died. Chuck had holed himself up in his hotel suite with nothing but alcohol and prostitutes to take up his time, refusing help or consolation from anyone, including Blair. The funeral went terribly as Chuck picked a fight with Dan and Serena before berating Lily. His step-mother had tried to make him see that he still had people who cared for him, but he had replied that he had no family left. The moment he had uttered those words, Blair's heart had broken for him.

At the reception, he had gotten into another altercation with Lily before storming out of the penthouse suite. Blair had chased him down the street, stopping him before he had sped away in his limousine. In a desperate attempt to stop him from walking away, she finally said those three words. She had watched as his face softened at the words, but seconds later he tore his hand away from hers and left. Crushed by his denial of her feelings, she had vowed to never forgive him for humiliating and hurting her so much. But when Dorota revealed that Chuck was waiting in her bedroom that night as she celebrated her mother and Cyrus' wedding, she couldn't help but go to him. Her guard had been up and her demeanor was icy cold when she walked into her bedroom, seeing him sitting on the edge of her bed. But when he turned to her with tears streaming down his cheeks, looking utterly broken, she instantly forgave him for everything and took him into her arms. She caressed him and held him and let him cry, gently soothing away his pain before they fell asleep in her bed. But when she awoke hours later, she realized that she was alone in the darkness of her room and a note from Chuck asking her not to look for him as the only evidence that he had even been there.

The month that he had disappeared, Blair underwent a mixture of feelings from anger, to loathing, to love but above all worry. Her heart yearned for him despite the anger she felt. When his uncle Jack finally brought him back, Chuck was a complete mess. He drank and smoked constantly without a care while his eyes remained red and baggy from his many sleepless nights. She tried desperately to help him heal, but something had broken inside of him that Blair feared would never be fixed. Bart had been Chuck's only parent since his mother had died giving birth to him. As a single parent, Bart was nothing short of terrible while he had been alive. He had refused to get to know his only son and had preferred spending time with countless women and business associates; because of this, Chuck had grown to resent his father. But despite their many differences, Bart had been the only parent Chuck had ever known and losing him broke him into pieces. After Blair had managed to talk him down from the ledge of Victrola's roof, she felt as if she were finally getting through to him. But his downward spiral continued and she refused to sit back and watch him destroy himself any further.

They spent the next few weeks apart, neither so much as glancing at the other. When Blair lost Yale, she began her own personal downward spiral which included alcohol and Carter Baizen. Chuck started showing interest and care for her once more and Blair drunkenly decided to sleep with him, hoping everything would magically heal itself just like that first night in Victrola. But unlike then, Chuck pulled away from her, stating that the new 'party' Blair wasn't _his_ Blair. His actions simply confused her more and she had walked away.

What followed during the next few weeks was Blair rekindling her relationship with Nate. But as much as she tried to move on with Nate and put the past behind her, Chuck refused to leave her mind and his name refused to leave her heart. She'd notice the hurt look on Chuck's face every time he'd see them together and as much as she wanted to run into his arms, she refused to do so unless he said those three precious words. But as the days slowly passed, Blair realized once and for all that _Nate's_ Blair was the prim and proper one who cared more about her image in high class society and what others thought about her than anything else. She knew that she had changed over the past year, that _Chuck_ had changed her and she refused to apologize for who she was. After that realization, she also found Nate to be almost as boring as Lord Marcus had been. There was no spark or passion between them like there had been and still was between her and Chuck. Making up her mind, she eventually broke things off with Nate during prom and tried rekindling her romance with Chuck after graduation.

But as luck went, Blair always had the worst as Gossip Girl revealed that Blair had slept with Jack on New Year's Eve. Blair expressed her love for Chuck repeatedly, but the revelation proved to be too much and Chuck walked away, breaking her heart once more. Blair hated him for not forgiving her and hated herself for what she had done, but all she could do was stand back and watch him walk out of her life yet again.

As Serena readied to travel for the summer and the two best friends bid farewell, Blair prepared herself for a lonely summer. But one week passed and suddenly there he was, standing next to his limousine, waiting for her. After months of pain, torture and betrayal, he finally uttered those three precious words to her and nothing else mattered. From that moment on, they had been practically inseparable. They made love several times a week, never growing tired of each other's presence or closeness.

Everything they had been through and all that they had experienced led to the present where Blair laid in Chuck's bed next to his sleeping form. They were facing each other in the dark room while his arm was draped lazily over her frame. She had never pegged him as the cuddling type but he had assured her that she was the only girl he had ever cuddled with, his words making Blair love him even more. Gazing at his peaceful face, she raised her free hand to his cheek and gently caressed his skin. He instinctively moved closer, causing her smile to widen in the dark. As she lifted her gaze from his lips to his closed eyes, she suddenly remembered how broken he had been when she comforted him the night of Bart's funeral. Then she remembered how lost and empty he had been for months after Bart's death. Glancing at the hand she had placed on his cheek, she realized that it had begun to shake.

Pulling her hand away, she stared at his quiet face once more. She loved him so much it hurt and the reality that he had almost killed himself several times only a few short months ago, whether through alcohol, drugs or jumping off the roof at Victrola hit her hard. Closing the distance between them, she snuggled as close as she could to his frame and he immediately wrapped his arms around her. Breathing in his scent and listening to the gentle sound of his heartbeat, she closed her eyes and let the bad memories fade away. They were together, they were in love and he was alive and safe in her arms. Everything would be okay.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Blair Waldorf felt as if she had it all. Walking through the hallways of her university, she held her head up high with a confident smile on her face. Dressed in a yellow blouse, black skirt and yellow headband to match her outfit, she had her purse tight against her shoulder while she held a small stack of books in her arms. As she continued walking forward, she gazed around her surroundings happily. It was true that NYU wasn't _exactly_ like Yale, but she was furthering her education in university and that's all that mattered to her. As she rounded a corner and exited the main building, her smile grew as she noticed a few of the boys turning to look at her. It wasn't the thought of being admired by others that made her smile, but the fact that it didn't matter either way since she already had the one person she wanted.

As she made her way down the path and towards her dormitory, her thoughts quickly streamed towards Chuck and her smile softened. If anyone would have told her two years ago that she would be head over heels in love with Chuck Bass, she would have crucified them for the very thought. But luckily for Blair, things hadn't turned out according to plan as she had ended up falling for her ex-boyfriend's best friend. Every time he looked at her, she saw the same passion in his eyes that she had seen that first night at Victrola.

Her smile continued to widen as her mind wandered towards his face, his kiss and his touch. As much as she hated to admit it and didn't want to boost his already immense ego, he was achingly good at pleasing her in bed. But what had surprised her most when they had finally begun a relationship weeks ago was that he preferred making love to her rather than simply having sex. He was the complete opposite of what her first boyfriend Nate was like, who was sloppy and paid very little attention. Chuck liked to take his time, especially with the foreplay, to savor every moment he had with her. It simply made her love him even more. As she twisted the doorknob to her dorm, she remembered their dinner date last night and how they had cut the meal short before going to his place and…

"Georgina!" she screamed at the top of her lungs the moment she stepped foot inside her room.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted upon seeing Georgina and a boy intimately connected under the sheets in her bed.

"Oh, hey B," the girl greeted with a grin before running her hands up and down the boy's back.

Blair shut her eyes in disgust and stormed towards the couple. Grabbing the boy's clothing that had been scattered all over the floor, she tossed it at him and yanked him out of bed, all the while keeping her eyes firmly on the door.

"Get out!" she shouted before pushing the naked boy into the hallway and slamming the door shut behind him, ignoring the roaring laughter coming from the students outside.

With that, she turned her back towards Georgina who rose to her feet and leisurely dressed in her own clothes.

"B, that was really unnecessary," she said with a grin. "You can turn around now."

"As if it's not bad enough that I have to share a room with you, I do _not_ need to see you going at it with random guys every single night!" Blair snapped, the fury in her voice apparent.

"Oh come on, I thought you were in class," Georgina defended innocently before taking a sip of water from her bottle.

"You know my class ends at 5 on Mondays so don't even try to deny it," she exclaimed before walking to her own bed and sitting down.

Georgina chuckled softly under her breath before sitting opposite her.

"So where's the notorious Prince?" she asked as Blair's eyes rose to meet hers.

"He's the CEO of Bass Industries. Where do you think he is?" she stated before looking through the notebook she had opened on her lap.

"Screwing random whores in his office?" Georgina offered as Blair's head snapped up.

"Chuck and I are in a relationship, _Georgina_," Blair explained angrily. "We love each other and are faithful to each other, not that I expect you to understand that."

"It always amazes me how easily you believe that _Chuck Bass_, Manhattan's own personal playboy, has simply given up all the women in the world…just for you," she stated.

Before she was able to respond, a soft knock came on the door and Georgina jumped to answer it. Sauntering towards the door, she pulled it wide open to see Chuck standing on the opposite side, dressed in a dark navy blue suit with his opened tie hanging loosely around his neck.

"Hi ex-lover," Georgina greeted, causing Blair to look up towards the door.

"Hi worst mistake ever," he replied with a fake smile, his words causing Blair to giggle.

As he stepped past a smirking Georgina and walked into the room, Blair quickly rose to her feet. The moment her eyes landed on his face, her anger disappeared and a warm feeling rose in her heart.

"Hi Waldorf," he said, his own smile widening when he saw her.

Before he was able to say anything else, she rushed into his arms and pulled him tight against her chest. Burying her hands in his hair, she pressed her lips onto his as his arms moved up and down her back, both oblivious to the other girl standing in the room next to them. When they leaned back, Blair pressed her forehead against his and let out a content sigh.

"Missed me, huh?" he said with a smirk.

"Just for a minute," she replied, slightly blushing.

"You're done for the day, right?" he asked, leaning back to see her nod. "Want to get out of here?"

Her smile was enough response for him and he led her towards the door.

"So you're allowed to bitch and moan whenever I have a guy here, but I'm not allowed to gag at the site of you two?" Georgina asked, her arms crossed at her chest.

"I never said you can't go about your whorish ways," Blair began with a grin. "Just don't do it in our room."

With that, she turned and followed a smirking Chuck towards the main door. As they stepped outside, he draped his right arm over her shoulders and led her towards his limousine.

"How was your day?" she asked, leaning the side of her head on him.

"Much less interesting than yours apparently," he replied with a small laugh. "What happened between you two now?"

"I just hate her," she said with disgust. "I walked into our room to see her doing the horizontal with some random guy…_again_."

"I don't know why you won't just let me write a cheque to the school so you could bribe the Dean to get your own room," he said as they stopped outside his limousine.

"As tempting as the offer is," she began and kissed him sweetly. "I'll deal with Georgina on my own."

With that, she stepped into the limousine as he followed her inside.

"Where to?" the driver asked from the front.

"Back to Bass Industries," Blair said before Chuck could reply.

"Why are we going back to work?" he asked with a frown.

"No real reason," she said with an innocent shrug. "I just haven't really seen your office."

He knew she was hiding something, but decided to let it go as she leaned her body against him and locked her fingers with his.

"I missed you today," she whispered as he turned his face towards hers.

"I dropped you off at school in the morning," he replied with a small chuckle.

"I know," she agreed. "I still missed you."

With that, his smile slowly disappeared and he moved in to kiss her. They rode the rest of the way to Bass Industries in a comfortably silence as Blair played with their intertwined fingers. The Chuck Bass of old would have never allowed a girl to do what Blair was doing with their hands, but with Blair, everything was different. They remained the same manipulative schemers with a laundry list of faults, but to each other they were perfect.

When the driver finally pulled in front of the Bass building, the two of them stepped outside and head inside. They were greeted by the doorman and the secretary downstairs before heading into the empty elevator. Except for a few employees who had remained to look over their reports, the entire building was vacant. Walking into his large office on the tenth floor, Blair closed the door behind them and moved towards the wide windows behind his desk. Gazing at the scenery outside, she suddenly felt a set of strong arms cradle her from behind.

"What did you want to see?" he whispered in her ears before placing a soft kiss on her neck.

Turning around in his arms, she smirked before gently pushing him back towards his leather chair. As he sat down, Blair moved to sit on his lap, each of her legs on his either side. He smiled up at her as his hands moved to hold her firmly in place.

"Did you have something particular in mind, Waldorf?" he asked, trying to hold back his grin as she leaned forward and placed soft kisses down his neck.

"Do you have a pressing engagement somewhere else?" she asked, kissing his upper lip.

He stared into her eyes before running his hands up her thighs.

"No," he whispered as she smiled and leaned back in, pressing her lips against his once more.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Stretching her arms in bed, Blair yawned before opening her eyes. The first thing she felt was an arm wrapped around her body. Looking to her right, she noticed Chuck fast asleep, his face buried in the side of her neck. Smiling, she gently pushed him over until his back was on the bed. Crawling on top of him, she sat down over his lower stomach and ran her hands up and down his bare chest, playing with the small hairs on his skin. He groaned lightly at her touch before opening his eyes and grinning up at her.

"Good morning," she said with an innocent smile.

His smile simply widened as a few loose curls fell across her shoulders. Gazing up at her, he ran his hands up her arms until they disappeared in her hair. Pulling her down, he pressed her lips against his and kissed her softly as she let out a content smile.

"What time is it?" he finally asked when they leaned back.

"Seven-thirteen," she replied before drawing patterns on his chest with her finger.

"Baby," he began, causing her to smile at the endearing term. "We have to get going."

Her smile quickly disappeared and she slowly leaned back up from his body. He sat up with her and pushed the strands of hair behind her ear.

"We'll have the weekend all to ourselves, I promise," he said as she nodded.

"I just hate that we don't see enough of each other," she said quietly.

"Waldorf, we see each other every day and spend together every night," he said with a chuckle, wanting to lighten the mood.

"I still miss you," she whispered before leaning in to kiss him.

As she leaned back and gazed at him, a sudden memory crept into her mind. She remembered seeing him for the first time after he had disappeared for a month following his father's funeral. The empty look in his eyes had scared her like nothing before. She had come so close to losing him and the memory of it sent a chill down her spine.

"Hey," he said, getting her attention. "Are you okay?"

She nodded with a smile, not wanting to explain where her mind had been.

"Just thinking about the weekend," she lied.

He smiled at her words before getting out of bed.

"Good to know you find me irresistible," he said with a signature smirk as she grabbed one of the pillows and whipped it at him.

He dodged her attempt and ran into the bathroom laughing as she leaned back in bed and sighed. Within half an hour, they were both dressed and ready to face their days. Pulling up in front of NYU, he stepped out of his limousine and held his hand out to her. Taking his hand, she followed him out as he walked her through the main courtyard.

"You know what's funny?" she began as they strolled hand-in-hand.

"What?" he asked, facing her.

"Chuck and Blair going to the movies. Chuck and Blair holding hands," she quoted him from months ago as he laughed.

She then held up their joined fingers and raised her brow at him.

"I guess we were wrong. It wasn't the end of something, but the beginning," he said with a wide smile that she loved on him. "You finish at two today?"

"Yeah, I'm going to head over and visit my mom for a bit after. You can pick me up there when you're done work," she offered before turning to face him.

"Sounds like a plan," he said before leaning in to kiss her.

Instead of a short farewell kiss, he pulled her close to him and kissed her deeply. The old Blair would have been uncomfortable with that intense level of PDA, but with Chuck she didn't care. She simply lost herself in his embrace and tightened her arms around his neck. His hands played with the curls in her hair before rubbing her neck and then resting on her chest. When they leaned back, she felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her and she gazed at him in a daze. When he leaned back in, she inched her face forward but instead of kissing her again, he moved to her ears.

"I'll see you in a bit," he said with a smirk before turning to walk away, leaving her completely disheveled.

Realizing he had once again taken advantage of the power that he had over her, she let out an angry groan before turning to storm towards the main doors. He watched her leave with a laugh before getting back into his limousine, ignoring the dozens of eyes that were glued on him. As Blair entered the main building, she was cut off by Georgina.

"You're powerless against him, aren't you?" she said with a laugh.

"Leave me alone, Whoregina," Blair bit back.

The other girl laughed aloud before turning to follow her.

"So, heard anything from S lately?" she asked as they rounded a corner.

"She's settling down at Brown," Blair replied as they reached their dormitory.

"Tell her I miss her the next time the two of you chat," Georgina said before plopping down on her bed.

"I'll definitely do that," Blair said sarcastically before gathering her books and walking back to the door. "Are you coming?"

"I think I'll take a nap," she began and stretched her body. "I had a _very_ physical evening last night."

Groaning at her words, Blair walked out and slammed the door behind her as Georgina let out a loud laugh. It wasn't until she was in her second class of the morning that she received a text message from Chuck. As the Economics Professor rambled on in front of five hundred students, Blair quietly pulled out her cell phone and read the message.

_'I'm sorry for this morning. I just couldn't resist. You're so cute when you're angry.'_

Despite her best efforts, she smiled at his message, knowing that she had forgiven him minutes after he had left. Making sure no one was watching, she began typing her response.

_'You'll just have to make it up to me tonight.'_

_'What did you have in mind?'_ came the immediate response, making her laugh.

_'You'll just have to wait and see...'_ she messaged, wanting to torture him. _'Why are you even messaging me? Shouldn't you be working?'_

_'I am working'_ came his first reply, followed quickly by a second. _'We're auditioning a bunch of female dancers for the new club we're purchasing.'_

Blair was about to message an angry response when something occurred to her.

_'You're messaging me while you're auditioning female dancers?'_ she messaged.

_'Yeah, I'm bored'_ came the reply, causing her to smile.

She messaged once more before shutting her phone and turning her attention to the old Professor lecturing a few feet away. At Bass Industries, Chuck sighed as another set of scantily clad women walked into his office. While the rest of the board members paid attention to the women, he sat behind his desk and waited for Blair's text.

_'I love you'_ came the final reply, her words causing him to smile.

"What about this one?" someone asked aloud.

"Yeah," Chuck said before pulling out of his daze and frowning. "What?"

"What about her?" a senior member of the board repeated, pointing to a young woman who was smiling at Chuck.

"Sure, she's fine," he said before turning back to the message she had sent.

Although he'd never admit it to anyone, he spent the remainder of the audition staring at those three precious words.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Opening the doors to her home, Blair walked inside and glanced around. Smiling at the familiarity of her home, she removed her jacket and purse before walking towards the main seating room. As she walked inside, she saw her loyal housekeeper rounding the corner.

"Dorota!" she squealed as the alarmed woman turned to face her.

"Miss Blair!" she exclaimed in return before rushing towards the young girl. "It is so good to see you. How do you like university?"

"Good so far," Blair said with a shrug, leaving out the details regarding her roommate. "Where's my mother?"

"She's upstairs Miss Blair," Dorota stated in her thick accent. "She's been on the phone yelling every day."

"Why?" Blair asked with a frown, but Dorota shrugged her shoulders.

Smiling politely, Blair walked passed the housekeeper and towards the large study at the end of the house. As she drew nearer, she heard her mother's angry voice on the telephone. Entering the study, she stared at Eleanor for a couple minutes before the elder Waldorf turned around and noticed her daughter. Cutting the rest of her phone call short, she hung up and smiled.

"Darling, I didn't know you were coming here today," she began just as Cyrus entered the room from behind.

"I wanted to visit you guys," she replied.

"Sweet step-daughter," Cyrus said before pulling her into a hug.

Blair rolled her eyes slightly but deep down enjoyed the fatherly warmth of his embrace. When they leaned back, Eleanor leaned in and kissed her daughter's cheek.

"Who was on the phone?" she asked as the three of them moved towards the couches in the family room.

"Just a business deal going south, dear," Eleanor replied, sitting next to her husband as Blair sat across from them.

"So tell us everything," Cyrus began enthusiastically. "How's school?"

"It's good," Blair replied, letting the phone call go as Dorota entered with drinks. "My classes are pretty interesting."

"Do you have a roommate?" Eleanor asked, taking a sip from her glass of water.

"Yes I do…Whoregina," Blair said, sitting back in her seat.

"Blair!" Eleanor exclaimed, setting her glass down as Cyrus laughed heartily under his breath. "A lady doesn't speak in such ways."

Mumbling incoherently under her breath, she took a sip from her own drink.

"How's Serena?" Cyrus asked, changing the subject.

"She's good and settling in but I think she wishes she were still here," Blair replied.

"How's Charles?" Eleanor asked.

"He's good too," Blair replied, a smile immediately covering her face as she gazed down at her hands. "Really good."

Eleanor and Cyrus exchanged amused glances before turning back to their daughter.

"Then it's safe to assume things are going well between the two of you?" Eleanor asked.

"Better than that," Blair said, her smile widening.

At the sound of their laughter, Blair pulled out of her daze and sat up.

"You're completely head over heels in love with him, aren't you?" Eleanor asked as Blair cleared her throat.

"Maybe," she said nonchalantly, waving the thought away.

Before anyone could form a reply, Dorota walked back into the room.

"Mr. Chuck is here," she said with a smile before walking back out.

Blair's smile immediately returned to her face, the change not going unnoticed by her mother and stepfather. Moments later, Chuck walked into the room dressed in a navy blue suit, but with his tie already untied and vacant from around his neck.

"Charles," Eleanor said as they rose to their feet.

Chuck kissed her cheek and shook hands with Cyrus before walking towards Blair. Kissing her softly, he sat down next to her as the others followed suit. Blair's left hand immediately locked with his while her right hand moved to the nape of his neck, playing with his hair as he draped his arm over her curled up legs.

"It's good to see you, son," Cyrus began as he smiled in return. "How's the business treating you?"

"It's going pretty good so far," he replied. "It's just really tiring."

"Well of course," Eleanor said, sipping her drink once more. "You went from a boy whose biggest responsibility was going to school to a man running a multi-billion dollar empire within a matter of months,"

"I see your point," he said before facing Blair.

"I thought you were coming later," she said, playing with the collar of his shirt.

"It's a Friday and I'm the boss," he said with a grin as she laughed.

Without realizing that they had an audience, Blair's hand moved to his chest and she leaned the side of her face on his shoulder as her fingers drew patterns on his skin.

"Dear, I think this means they want to be alone," Cyrus said, exchanging a knowing glance with Eleanor.

"No, I…," Blair began, but her mother cut her off with a smile.

"Let's all have dinner tonight at seven," she began. "It'll give Cyrus and I time to attend to some business we have outside and time for the two for you to…"

She cut her sentence short before clearing her throat.

"We will see you here at seven. You can stay or go before then as you please," she said before leaving the room and searching for Dorota.

Cyrus chuckled lightly before rising to his feet and following his wife. Once they were gone, Chuck turned to face Blair with a grin.

"Even your mother and step-father can see how irresistible you find me," he said as she lightly slapped his arm.

With that, she rose to her feet and pulled him with her.

"Come on," she said, leading him towards the staircase.

"I'll meet you upstairs," he said, stopping at the first step as she faced him. "I just got to tell my driver how long I'm going to be."

"Don't make me wait too long," Blair said with an innocent smile before heading upstairs.

He watched her go before heading towards the main door. As he neared the foyer, he heard Eleanor and Cyrus arguing quietly. Cyrus was already outside when he stepped into view.

"Oh Charles," Eleanor said, caught off guard.

"Is everything alright, Mrs. Waldorf?" he asked with a slight frown.

"Yes," Eleanor replied, nervously straightening her coat.

"Are you sure?" Chuck asked.

When she looked into his eyes, she saw a concern that she knew he held regarding her daughter. Stepping towards him, she placed her hand on his arm reassuringly.

"It will be," she said before walking out.

He watched her and Cyrus get into the backseat of a car before their driver pulled away from the curb. Once they were gone, he spoke with his own driver before heading upstairs. Walking into Blair's bedroom, he shut the door behind him and smiled upon seeing her sitting on her bed waiting.

"So this is your bed?" he asked, repeating the words he had said to her two years ago.

"Yes it is," she replied and watched as he removed his jacket and opened the first couple buttons on his shirt.

As he neared the bed, Blair moved back until she was lying down. He slowly crawled up her body until he was fully towering over her. Leaning down, he kissed her softly before lying down next to her on his stomach. With his arm draped over her figure, half of his body covered hers but she welcomed the weight. She held onto his arm with one hand while her other hand buried itself in his hair. Closing his eyes, Chuck buried his face in the crook of her neck, his warm breath comforting her in an unimaginable way. As he slowly drifted off to sleep, she listened to the gentle beating of his heart and smiled.

Before they had officially begun a relationship, they had believed that their dynamic would change and be broken were they ever to get together. But the level of intimacy they shared during the past few weeks had simply brought them closer. Although Chuck would never admit that he liked cuddling with her, she knew that it was this level of comfort, love and intimacy they were sharing that had ultimately begun healing the brokenness his father's death had left him with. Turning her face towards his, she leaned in and placed kisses on his forehead, cheek and eyes. Although she had never been overly affectionate with previous boyfriends, with Chuck she found that she couldn't help herself. All she wanted to do was hold him, kiss him and make love to him every day. Kissing him once more, she closed her eyes before drifting off into a peaceful sleep herself.

Around seven o'clock, an exhausted Eleanor and Cyrus returned home. When they found downstairs empty, they quietly head towards the second floor, a weary look on both of their faces. Seeing Blair's bedroom door closed, they nervously glanced at one another before walking towards it.

"You open it," Eleanor urged her husband, anxious about what they were about to see.

Taking a deep breath, Cyrus turned the doorknob and opened the door. Stepping inside, what they saw made them smile. Chuck and Blair were fast asleep in the same position from hours ago, holding onto one another tightly.

"Have you ever seen Blair as happy as she is now?" Cyrus whispered, facing his wife.

"No, she was mostly miserable with Nathaniel" she replied, shaking her head. "But with Charles…she loves this boy so much."

With that, she stepped back out of the room followed by Cyrus who closed the door.

"I can't tell her, Cyrus," she said, clasping her hand over her mouth. "Not now."

"She has a right to know," her husband reminded her.

"I know she does," Eleanor agreed. "But not now."

With that, he draped his arm around her waist and they began walking back downstairs, leaving the two of them in a peaceful sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Turning onto his back, Chuck reached across the bed only to find that he was alone. Opening his eyes, he glanced around his bedroom when he suddenly heard a small crashing noise coming from the kitchen. Ever since Rufus, Dan and Jenny had moved in with Lily, Chuck had preferred moving back into the penthouse suite at his late father's hotel. Rising to his feet, he rubbed his tired eyes before walking out of his bedroom. Wearing only pajama bottoms with his top bare, he ran his hand through his messy hair before stopping behind the kitchen counter. Dressed only in his dress shirt with her back to him, Blair was busy trying to cook breakfast on the stove top. He stood back and watched in silent amusement as she moved around the kitchen, oblivious to his presence. As she paid attention to the scrambled eggs, smoke began coming out of the toaster.

"Shoot!" she exclaimed and rushed towards it.

Pulling the burnt pieces of toast out, she threw them on a plate before blowing on her fingers. Just then, smoke started rising from the pan and she rushed to save the scrambled eggs while Chuck laughed quietly under his breath. As she turned the stove off and grabbed the pan, her fingers brushed against the hot metal. Wincing in pain, she tossed the hot pan into the sink and grabbed her burning fingers with her other hand. Suddenly, a pair of strong arms cradled her from behind.

"Good morning, Waldorf," he said with a smirk, holding her tightly.

"How long have you been standing there?" Blair asked with a sigh.

"Long enough," he said with a laugh.

Blair stared at the burnt food in front of her for a moment before averting her eyes.

"What were you doing?" he whispered into her ear.

"Cooking," she replied, disgust at herself showing through her tone of voice. "I was trying to cook you breakfast."

She felt him smile against her skin and although she would have normally berated him for ridiculing her, she instead leaned against him and relaxed in his arms.

"Did you burn yourself?" he asked, staring at the red fingers that Blair had already forgotten about.

Before she could respond, he pulled her fingers to his mouth and kissed the tips softly.

"Better?" he asked as she nodded absently and turned in his arms to face him. "Thank you for trying to cook for me. I _am_ hungry."

"In case you didn't understand from the burning smoke, I failed," she said, motioning the burnt food behind her.

Shaking his head, Chuck let out a small laugh.

"I said I was hungry, but not for food," he said, gazing into her eyes.

She immediately realized what he meant and smiled. Leaning forward, he pinned her to the edge of the counter and pressed his forehead against hers. Closing his eyes, his hands moved to the buttons of his shirt that she was wearing and he slowly began opening them. Once they were undone, he pulled the fabric off of her small frame and laid his hands on her bare ribs. Opening his eyes, he stared at her bare chest for a long moment before his eyes traveled up her body and to her eyes. His gaze was so deep and penetrating that she shuddered slightly against him. Reaching down, he lifted her body until her legs were wrapped tightly around him and her hands were buried in his hair. Blair bit her lower lip as he turned and carried her back towards his bed. Just as he lowered her onto his mattress and covered her body with his, his cell phone began ringing on the night stand. Groaning into her neck, he gradually sat up and grabbed his phone. She subconsciously reached for the sheets to cover her bare upper body, but he pulled the cloth out of her grasp.

"Hello," he spoke into the phone, running his spare hand across her ribs and caressing her skin.

As he waited for the person on the other end to reply, he ran his hand down her stomach and stopped at her upper thigh. Blair gazed at him with a lustful smile as he gently caressed her leg.

"The meeting's set for Monday at nine," he stated as his hand found hers and their fingers locked over her stomach. "They delayed the process long enough on their end. Now they can wait until tomorrow."

He listened again for another moment before sighing heavily.

"Alright," he said and hung up.

Placing his phone back on the night stand, he turned to face her with a disappointed expression.

"I'm sorry but I got to go in," he said as her smile disappeared.

"But it's Sunday morning," she began.

"I know, I'm sorry," he repeated. "I know I said it would be just us this weekend so I promise I'll make it up to you when I get back. I shouldn't be more than a couple hours."

"So you're just going to walk out and leave me completely unsatisfied?" she asked with a frown before covering herself up with the sheet.

Smiling at her anger, he leaned in and parted her lips with his. Her annoyance all but disappeared as he lied down on top of her and pressed his body onto hers. He moved her hands to lock around his neck before deepening the kiss and receiving a quiet moan from Blair.

"God, this can't be healthy," she said when they leaned back.

"What?" he asked before leaving a trail of kisses down her neck.

"Wanting each other as much as we," she replied.

"And that's bad because…?" he asked with a laugh.

"I want you all the time," she said as he gave her his signature smirk.

"You _have_ proved that you find me simply irresistible," he said with a light laugh.

She ran her hand across his forehead and lips before her voice grew quiet.

"And I miss you more than I should when you leave," she whispered, looking down.

"I'm not going anywhere, Waldorf," he said, but she kept her gaze down.

Realizing the seriousness of her words, he lost his smile and lifted her chin up to capture her eyes.

"As long as I'm living and breathing, I'll never stop wanting you," he exclaimed. "And it may not be healthy, but you're like oxygen for me. I need you to breathe."

Her own breathing grew heavy at his words as she tightened her lock around his neck and pulled him into another deep kiss. Then he suddenly broke away and rose to his feet with a groan. She watched him dress and within a matter of minutes, he walked out. Pulling the sheet tight against her chest, Blair smiled softly as she remembered his words. Outside, Chuck walked towards the elevator and stepped inside. His hand lingered near the lobby button, but he didn't press it as the elevators doors closed. After waiting another moment, he pressed the open button and stepped back into the hallway. Grabbing his cell phone, he dialed his assistant and waited for the other end to answer.

"Tom, I'm the CEO of Bass Industries and Rictor Inc. needs us a lot more than we need them," he stated. "The meeting will happen tomorrow, alright?"

After the other side agreed, he shut his phone and walked back towards his suite. Walking inside, he shut the door, tossed his jacket aside and walked back into his bedroom.

"Did you forget something?" Blair asked with a frown, turning to face him in bed.

"Yeah…you," he said before climbing into bed with her and covering her body with his.

Blair let out a small giggle as he pressed his lips against hers and flipped them over so she was on top.

"I _am_ the CEO after all," he said as she smiled. "There have to be some perks that come with the job like getting Sundays off to spend with my girlfriend, right?"

Her smile widened at his words as they leaned in to kiss once more.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Amidst the busy streets of Manhattan's Upper East Side, Chuck walked towards the door of the Waldorf home and rang the bell. With his hands tucked in the pockets of his light grey suit, he waited patiently until Dorota finally answered the door.

"Mr. Chuck," she said with a happy smile and stepped aside for him to enter. "Miss Blair is not here."

"I know, she asked me to come and pick up the books that she left here a few days ago," he replied and motioned towards the stairs. "May I?"

"Of course, Mr. Chuck," she said and closed the door behind them before nervously disappearing towards the kitchen.

Laughing after the bubbly maid, he made his way towards the staircase and began heading up. Once he reached the top floor, he turned towards Blair's bedroom. Walking inside, he took a moment to survey his surroundings before seeing the two books on her nightstand. Walking towards them, he noticed a photo frame behind the books with a picture of Serena, Chuck and Blair. Smiling at the photo, he grabbed the books and began heading back towards the stairs. As he began descending, he heard Eleanor's voice arguing loudly over the phone. Moving back, he stepped near the master bedroom and listened from the doorway as the elder Waldorf spoke hastily into the receiver.

"What do you mean he's disappeared?!" she snapped into the phone. "Do you know who I am? The money does not matter! Find him!"

With that, she slammed the phone down and sat down on the edge of her bed, sighing heavily. With a frown on his face, Chuck knocked lightly on the door before walking inside.

"Charles?" Eleanor stammered in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Blair asked me to pick up her books for her," he replied. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop but is everything alright?"

"Oh yes," Eleanor replied, rising to her feet. "Everything is fine."

He stared at her for a long moment, taking in her stressed appearance before shaking his head.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Sighing once more, Eleanor sat back down.

"You're just a boy. You don't need to deal with my problems," she began.

"Mrs. Waldorf, this past year I've been forced to grow up whether I liked it or not. My father spent my entire life telling me what a failure I was but ended up leaving me in charge of his multi-billion dollar empire," he explained as she looked up at him. "Trust me, whatever your problems are, they can't be that bad. And if it involves Blair, which I'm sensing it does, then please tell me."

She considered his words for a moment before patting the edge of her bed for him to sit down.

"It's Blair's father," she began once he had sat down.

"What about him?" he asked in return.

Eleanor remained silent for another moment before finally responding.

"Ramon and he broke up weeks ago because Harold had begun acting erratic," she explained.

"Erratic how?" he asked with a frown.

"Apparently he feared that Ramon was cheating on him and he started behaving differently," she said and shook her head. "He disappeared three weeks ago and no one has seen or heard from him since."

Chuck took the information in before facing her once more.

"To be frank, Mrs. Waldorf…," he started but she cut him off.

"Call me Eleanor, please," she said as he nodded.

"Well, to be frank, Eleanor, Mr. Waldorf is a grown man," he tried to reason. "Maybe he just took off for a while to blow some steam."

"And not tell the people he loves where he's going?" she asked in dismay.

Smiling at her, he looked down at his hands. "I took off for a month after my father's death. If it weren't for my twisted uncle, I don't know when I would have come back."

Eleanor looked away guiltily when Chuck shook his head and smiled once more.

"It's alright; it was a long time ago. Things are different now," he stated. "But maybe Mr. Waldorf just needed some time to himself."

"I wish that were true," Eleanor said, a worried expression on her face.

"What aren't you telling me?" he asked as she faced him.

"The reason he was behaving differently is because…," she said and ran a hand through her hair. "He's addicted to heroin."

The moment the words left her lips, Chuck sat up and frowned.

"Mr. Waldorf is a drug addict?" he asked as Eleanor nodded.

"He and Ramon would go to all these parties in Paris and one thing led to another. Ramon tried getting him to quit and go to rehab, but he wouldn't. That's why things ended between them," she explained.

"So what, you think he's out there shooting up?" he asked and laughed. "Come on, that's just plain crazy."

"Personally I have no care whatsoever for my ex-husband who cheated on me with his younger gay lover," she began. "But he's Blair's father nonetheless. Things have just started being good in her life again, with college and with you."

Chuck looked away at her words as she rose to her feet.

"I'm trying to find him. I've hired three different private investigators but it's like he's crawled under the world's smallest rock and refuses to come out," she said in frustration.

"Look, he's probably holed up in the presidential suite of some hotel," Chuck began, but Eleanor's troubled expression forced him to grow serious. "You're really worried, aren't you?"

Eleanor looked up at the young boy before eventually nodding.

"Why don't you let me try and look for him?" he asked as she shook her head.

"No, I don't want you worrying about this," she stated.

"Like you said, he's Blair's father and what matters to her matters to me," he expressed firmly. "Look, my P.I is pretty good at what he does. Let me see what he can find."

Eleanor considered the offer for a moment before reluctantly agreeing.

"Thank you, Charles," she said as he nodded and moved towards the door. "But please don't tell my daughter."

He turned to face her with a skeptical expression on his face.

"He's her father. She deserves to know," he pointed out.

"I know, and I'll tell her," Eleanor assured him. "But just not yet. Not until I've found him at least."

"I don't…," he started to say, but she cut him off.

"Please?" Eleanor asked, her voice pleading with him.

He stared at her for a moment before eventually nodding and walking out. Once he was outside and sitting in the backseat of his limousine, he whipped out his cell phone and speed dialed a number.

"It's me," he spoke into the phone. "I need you to locate someone and I need him found yesterday."

As he continued speaking into the phone, his driver pulled away from the curb and into the heavy mid-afternoon traffic.

At NYU, an exhausted Blair made her way towards her dorm. Stopping at the door, she took a deep breath and shut her eyes to ready herself for what she might see on the other side. Walking in, she was surprised when she was greeted with silence and dared to open her eyes.

"Serena!" she exclaimed happily the moment her eyes were open.

Rushing towards her best friend, she pulled the blond girl into a tight hug which led them over the bed. Serena laughed aloud at Blair's antics before they leaned back.

"S, what are you doing here?" Blair asked with a wide smile.

"I transferred!" Serena exclaimed.

"You what?" Blair said in surprise. "Why?"

"I tried it out over there for two weeks and it was great, but I missed my family and friends," Serena explained. "I spoke with the Dean and he was disappointed at first, but eventually pushed my transfer through."

"I can't believe it," Blair said, hugging her once more. "Are you staying on campus?"

"Yeah, do you want to see my room?" she asked as Blair nodded.

Rising to their feet, the two girls walked back into the hallway arm in arm. Heading down the corridor, they made a left turn before stopping at a room at the corner.

"Come on," Serena said, opening the door and walking inside.

Once they had entered, Blair noticed a slight resemblance to her own room.

"Who are you rooming with?" she asked, sitting down on one of the beds. "Anyone's better than who I got."

"Georgina?" Serena said and laughed. "That's really some luck you've got."

"Thanks," Blair said with a scowl. "So who'd you get?"

"Well, I'll give you a clue. She and I had a few falling outs but now we're closer than ever," she replied, holding back her smile.

"I don't get it," Blair said with a frown.

"Okay, next clue," Serena continued. "She used to date this guy who didn't really deserve her."

Blair continued to frown as Serna rolled her eyes.

"Now she's sleeping with my step-brother," she stated as Blair's eyes widened.

"Who's sleeping with Chuck?" she demanded.

"Oh my God, Blair," Serena said through her laughter. "You!"

"Wait, what?" she began.

"We're roommates!" Serena finished.

It took a moment for the news to register but Blair eventually jumped towards her friend and embraced her tightly, sending them onto the other bed. Lying down on their backs, both girls faced one another and laughed.

"How did you manage this?" she asked happily.

"I just used the Van der Bass charm," Serena replied and shrugged. "And the checkbook."

"It's going to be so amazing seeing Whoregina's face when we tell her. God, this is the best news I've had in such a long time," Blair said before her smile softened. "I missed you S."

"I missed you too, B," Serena said and sighed. "So what's new? How's my notorious step-brother? Is he treating you good?"

"In or out of bed?" Blair asked, her words causing Serena to scrunch her face and look away in disgust.

"I don't want _those_ details!" she complained before they both laughed.

As they continued to reminisce with one another in their new room, Blair remained oblivious to the heartbreak she was about to experience.


	7. Chapter 7

I'm really sorry for the lack of updates! I had a lot going on with life and school, but everything's calm now so here's the next chapter :)

Chapter 7

Making her way down the corridor on the tenth floor, Blair greeted the secretary before quietly letting herself into Chuck's office. He was seated behind his desk with his head resting on the palm of his hand, the phone receiver gripped tightly against his ear.

"What do you mean?" he stated, an edge to his voice that made Blair stop in her tracks. "I pay you more than enough and I expect results so do your job and don't call back unless you have the news I want to hear!"

Slamming the phone down, he looked up and was surprised to find his girlfriend standing in front of him.

"Blair, what are you doing here?" he asked, his words sounding harsher than he had intended. "I mean, hi."

"Hi," she replied, sensing that he was troubled.

Walking behind his desk, she seated herself on his lap and pressed her lips softly against his. He took a deep breath in comfort before leaning back to smile at her.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, motioning his phone call.

"Just some annoying bankers, that's all," he replied, wanting to change the subject. "How's your day so far?"

"Really good," she began, the smile returning to her face. "Serena's back and she and I are roommates."

"Since when?" he asked with a frown.

"Since yesterday. I called and left you a couple messages," she replied.

"Yeah, sorry about that," he said and smiled. "So, no more Whoregina."

"No more Whoregina," she agreed with a small laugh and tightened her arms around his neck. "Can you get away for a late lunch with me and Serena? She wants to catch up with us."

He thought of her words for a moment before sighing. "Actually, no; I've got meetings scheduled all afternoon."

She hid her disappointment but removed her arms from around his neck. "What about dinner?"

"Dinner sounds good," he replied with a smile, causing her to smile as well. "I'll give you a call when I'm done here."

"Okay," she said and rose to her feet.

Kissing him sweetly, she turned and walked out of his office, closing the door shut behind her.

A part of Blair felt that something was wrong, but she pushed her thoughts aside and made her way towards the elevator. Inside his office, Chuck leaned back in his chair and sighed. Opening the file that was on his desk, he looked down at a photo of Harold Waldorf for a long moment before shutting it again and tossing it aside.

After hailing a cab and making her way towards a fancy restaurant, Blair walked inside and met Serena at their usual table.

"Where's Chuck?" the blonde girl asked, looking behind her friend.

"He had to work," she replied, sitting down and removing her coat. "He said he'll meet us for dinner though."

"B, are you alright?" Serena asked as Blair nodded.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said and took Serena's hand in hers. "I'm better than fine now that my best friend is back."

The two girls shared a smile before grabbing their individual menus and looking through the options.

When the evening arrived, Blair made her way out of her last class and began walking towards her new dorm room. As she rounded a corner, she saw Nate approaching her from the side.

"Hey Blair," he said with a smile that she returned. "How've you been?"

"Good," she replied and walked past him.

Turning around, he jogged to catch up with her.

"I spoke to Serena today. Are you happy she's back?" he asked.

"I'm thrilled!" she squealed, her response making Nate laugh. "Now we can gang up on Whoregina and beat her at her own game."

"Sounds fun," Nate said with another laugh. "Listen, I was wondering if you wanted to get a bite to eat tonight. You know, catch up."

"I'm actually having dinner with Chuck and Serena," she replied and stopped to face him. "Do you want to join us?"

"I don't know," Nate said with a slight shrug.

"What's wrong? You've been in your own world the past few weeks."

"It's just a little weird seeing the two of you together, _again_," he replied honestly.

"Nate," she started to say but he cut her off.

"Look, I know you guys love each other and believe it or not, I actually am happy for you," he explained. "It'll just take some time to get used to again, especially after..."

"Nate, you and I were never good for one another and you know that just as well as I do," Blair stated firmly. "And Chuck and I were in love then as much as we are now. We just couldn't admit it."

"I know," he said and sighed.

"Then come to dinner with us. It'll be fun," Blair said with a broad smile.

"Alright, fine," he said with another laugh. "I'll see you later."

Moving away, he rounded a corner and walked straight into his roommate.

"Is that the girl you lost to your best friend _twice_?" a boy with curly brown hair and faint freckles asked.

"Shut up Mike," Nate exclaimed and walked into their door room before sitting down on his own bed.

"And is that the same girl you've been hung over these past few weeks?"

When Nate didn't answer, Mike let out a laugh. "So that's a yes? Come on, it's me, man. You can be honest."

Nate sighed heavily before speaking. "All I know is that as lost as I was when I was with her, it doesn't even come close to how lost I feel without her."

"What about your friend Chuck? Aren't they head over heels for one another?"

"Yeah, but he's always busy with work…," Nate began.

"While you're here with her every day," Mike said and nodded. "Are you really going to do this?"

Nate shut his eyes and fell back on his bed, letting out a loud groan as Mike smiled.

After another hour passed, Serena walked into their dorm dressed in a silver dress with her hair flowing freely over her shoulders.

"So guess who I ran into?" she asked, turning towards her best friend who was seated on her bed staring down at her cell phone. "Blair?"

Looking up, Blair smiled at her friend. "You look amazing, S."

"Thank you," the blond girl said with her own smile. "Guess who I ran into?"

"Nate, Dan, Whoregina, Vanessa…,"

"Dan," Serena said with a laugh.

"Was it awkward?"

"No, it was actually really easy," she replied with a shrug. "We got some coffee and spoke for an hour. I think we might actually be able to grow as friends."

"I'm glad for you, S," Blair said before smiling. "Because if anything is lamer than being friends with Dan Humphrey…"

"Is mourning Dan Humphrey, I know," Serena replied with a laugh and a shake of her head. "Are we good to go?"

Rising to her feet, Blair wore her thin black jacket over her dress and placed her phone in her purse.

"I invited Nate earlier," she began and pulled her hair out of her coat. "I figured he and Chuck could try and be friends like before."

"That's sweet of you," Serena said before wearing her own coat. "Is Chuck picking us up?"

"No, he'll meet us at the restaurant," Blair replied as the two girls walked out of their dorm and were immediately greeted by Nate.

"Nate, you look really handsome," Serena said with a sweet smile.

"Thanks," he replied and turned to Blair. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said before linking her arm through Serena's and leading her friend forward as Nate walked behind them.

The cab ride towards the restaurant was mostly quiet, except for Serena detailing her many adventures over the summer. When they arrived, they walked inside and were immediately seated at a table for four.

"Would you like to begin with any drinks or appetizers?" the waiter asked politely.

"We're actually waiting for one other person," Blair said with a smile.

The waiter nodded and walked towards his next table as Blair removed her phone from her purse and laid it on the table beside her.

Back inside his office at Bass Industries, Chuck was shutting the folders on his desk and getting ready to leave when his phone began ringing.

"Chuck Bass," he spoke into the receiver.

He waited a moment for the other side to respond before answering.

"Where are you?" he asked. "I'll be there in ten minutes."

Hanging up the phone, he grabbed his overcoat and walked out of his office. Rushing into the elevator, he rode it down to the lobby before getting into his limousine outside the front doors. Within a few minutes, his driver pulled to a stop on the side of the road. Getting out, Chuck rushed inside the restaurant before making his way towards the bar at the end. Sitting down next to his PI, he ordered a drink before facing the other man.

"What did you find?"

"He really _has_ dropped off the face of the planet," the PI, a man in his early forties, began to explain.

"I know you called me here for something better than that."

"I can't find _him_, but I found _her_," he said and removed a set of photos from an envelope.

Placing the photos in front of Chuck, he took a sip from his drink.

"Who the hell is she?" Chuck asked with a frown.

"She's his dealer," the PI replied. "And from what I've heard, she's a New York local."

"Are you telling me Harold Waldorf is here in New York?" Chuck asked in surprise.

"That's what it looks like," the PI exclaimed. "Just give me another 48 hours and I should be able to locate her."

Chuck's phone suddenly began ringing and he glanced at the ID before answering.

"Hey Blair," he said and sighed. "Listen, I'm stuck here at the office all night dealing with the bankers and accountants. I'm going to have to rain-check but you guys should go without me."

When they said goodbye, he shut his phone and turned towards his PI.

"Tell me everything about her."

"So where is he?" Serena asked when Blair had hung up.

"He can't get out of work. He has to stay at the office all night," she replied, the disappointment in her voice apparent.

"When Chuck called to cancel something, it usually meant he was parting or drinking," Nate stated before realizing what he had said.

"He's not cheating on me, Nate," Blair snapped at him. "He's the CEO of Bass Industries and he's busy with work."

"That's not what I meant, Blair," Nate apologized.

"Let's order," she cut him off and grabbed her menu.

Dinner finished quickly and before long, they trio had exited the restaurant and hailed a cab to return to their dorms. When the driver approached Bass Industries, Serena turned towards the man and asked him to stop.

"What are you doing?" Blair asked with a frown.

"I'm not doing anything, you are," she replied. "Go see him and make up."

Smiling at her friend, the two girls embraced before Blair got out of the cab.

"Do you want us to wait for you?" Nate asked from inside.

"No, you guys go ahead," she replied and shut the door.

With a happy smile on her face, Blair walked past the security guards who knew her by name and stepped towards the elevator. When she got off on the top floor, she walked down the corridor and stopped behind his door. Taking a deep breath, she twisted the knob and stepped inside. Nothing but darkness stared back at her, causing her smile to disappear.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Knocking three times, Chuck waited patiently until the door opened.

"Hello Mr. Chuck," Dorota greeted as he walked inside.

"Is Eleanor here?" he asked, removing the scarf from around his neck.

"Yes, I will get her," she replied in her thick accent before rushing out the room.

Moments later, Eleanor descended the stairs and met him in the parlor.

"It's good to see you, Charles," she began but stopped when she noticed the look in his eyes. "What is it?"

Removing the photos his PI had given him last night, he handed them to Eleanor who glanced through the pile.

"I don't understand. Who is she?" she asked, looking up at him with a confused expression on her face.

"He's your ex-husband's dealer," Chuck replied as Eleanor lowered her hands and sighed.

"Have you spoken with her yet?" she asked after a long pause.

"Not yet, but my PI should locate her soon," he explained. "But you should know that this woman is a local."

"You mean Harold's here in New York?" she said before shaking her head. "Please find her as quick as you can. If he contacts Blair or God forbid she runs into him…"

"I'll find her, that much I can guarantee you," he assured before changing his footing. "Eleanor, I'm not the type of person to say things twice but you really should tell Blair what's happening."

"No!" she exclaimed quickly. "My ex-husband has caused enough damage to Blair and to this family."

"But what do you think will happen? You'll keep the secret long enough for us to find Mr. Waldorf, get him into rehab and pretend it never happened?" he asked skeptically. "Blair's birthday is coming up in a few weeks. Don't you think she'll notice something is wrong when he doesn't call her like he does every year?"

"Then we better find him before then," Eleanor stated firmly. "Please, Charles."

Sighing, he took the photos back from her and reluctantly nodded. Moving to the door, he walked outside just as his phone rang. Glancing at the ID, he hesitated before answering.

"Hey," he spoke softly into the phone.

"I missed you yesterday," Blair replied, seated at an empty table in the busy cafeteria with a tray of uneaten food in front of her.

"Yeah, I miss you too," he said and walked towards his limousine.

"How was your meeting last night?" she asked quietly.

"Really long; I was there past eleven," he said before climbing into the backseat.

Blair bit back her tears and instead cleared her throat. "That's too bad."

"What do you say we get some lunch today?" he asked as the driver pulled out onto the street.

"Actually, I can't. I have a test tomorrow and I need to study," she lied, hoping he wasn't able to hear the shudder in her voice.

His phone suddenly beeped and he glanced at the screen before his eyes slightly widened.

"Blair, I'm going to have to call you back. I have an important call on the other line."

"Sure," she said quietly before hanging up.

A single tear slipped down her cheek and she hastily wiped it away.

"What do you have?" Chuck asked his PI over the phone. "No, I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

Turning to his driver, he shut his phone and gave a new set of directions. As the driver made a right turn, Chuck leaned back and stared down at the photos of the dealer on his lap. The woman was young, thin and had flowing red hair. Sighing quietly, he pushed the photos aside and continued to stare out of his window, a desolate look on his face.

Inside the cafeteria, Blair wiped the remainder of her tears just as Nate approached her table.

"Hey Blair, are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," she replied, a fake smile on her face.

"I was going to go get some coffee. Do you want to come along?" he asked. "Unless you have other plans."

Staring down at her phone for another moment, she looked back up and shook her head. "No plans."

Rising to her feet, she deposited her tray of uneaten food into the nearest bin before following him out. They spent the next hour walking down the street, sipping their coffees and enjoying a mild conversation. Eventually, they came across a sporting goods store and Blair opted to stay out on the sidewalk while Nate browsed the equipment inside. With her empty coffee cup long gone, she leaned her back against the stone wall and let out a soft sigh. Turning to face her left, she noticed a black limousine pulling to a stop on the side of the road and instantly knew who it was. She watched in silence as Chuck got out from the backseat, dressed in a dark navy blue suit and a black overcoat on top. It took every ounce of strength she had to stop a smile from forming on her lips.

"Hey," he said when he was close enough. "I thought you were studying."

"I needed a break," she replied quietly, making no effort to go to him.

Before she was able to protest, he pulled her into his arms and buried his face in the crook of her neck. The feeling of being in his arms overwhelmed her and made her forget the fact that he had lied to her.

"God, I missed you," he breathed into her neck before leaning back and gazing at her. "Two days is too long to go without this."

She smiled at his words and allowed him to pull her face towards his. Just as they were about to kiss, Nate stepped out of the store and interrupted their moment.

"Hey Blair, I…," he said before he noticed his friend. "Hey Chuck."

"Nathaniel," Chuck replied, untangling himself from Blair.

Before he was able to say anything else, his phone began ringing. Groaning softly, he removed the device from his pocket and glanced at the ID.

"Let me guess, you have to go," she said as he faced her with a sigh.

"I'm sorry," he said before placing the phone back in his pocket. "What time's your test tomorrow?"

"In the morning," she lied quickly, remembering their conversation earlier.

"Just you and me this weekend?" he asked, forgetting that Nate was even there.

"Yeah," she said absently.

Chuck noticed the distance in her voice and pulled her a couple feet aside.

"Is everything alright?" he asked her quietly.

"You tell me," she said, looking up into his eyes.

"Everything's fine," he said in confusion.

Forcing herself not to scoff, she nodded. "I'm fine too."

"Alright, I have to go," he said and moved in to kiss her.

She remained still against his lips and he pulled away with a slight frown.

"I'll call you later," he said and faced Nate. "See you."

Nate nodded once and they watched as Chuck walked towards his limousine. Within seconds, he had vanished within the busy traffic.

"Is everything alright?" Nate asked as they began walking back down the same street they had come from.

"Fine," she lied smoothly.

"Are you guys fighting?"

"He lied to me," Blair blurted out before she realized who she was talking to. "He wasn't at his office last night when I went."

When Nate didn't reply, she stopped and turned to face him.

"What?" she demanded angrily. "I know you have something to say so just say it."

"Nothing," he began before sighing. "Look, just…what did you expect, Blair? Chuck spent his entire teenage years going from one woman to the next. All he has to show for the past six years of his life are numerous parties, alcohol and one night stands. Deep down, he's still the same person."

"He's changed," she defended him without hesitation.

"Why, just because he's dating you?" Nate expressed before looking down. "I didn't mean it like that."

"He _has_ changed, Nate! Ever since his father died last year, he's a different person," Blair exclaimed.

"You mean when you told him you loved him, comforted him and he disappeared for a month without a word?" Nate snapped back at her, his words reminding her of the pain she had gone through last year. "You deserve better than Chuck Bass, Blair."

She stared at him for a long moment before looking away. "I don't feel like being out here anymore. I want to go back."

Without waiting for his reply, she walked to the side of the street to hail a cab and he quickly followed her. The ride back to their dorms was quiet and whenever Nate tried starting a conversation, she shot him down with one-word answers. When they eventually made it back to NYU, Blair rushed towards her dorm and shut the door behind her.

"Hey," Serena said with a smile before noticing the expression on her friend's face.  
"B, what's wrong?"

Blair moved to sit next to Serena and tossed her purse angrily onto her own bed.

"I take it things didn't go well with Chuck last night?" Serena began.

"I went to his office and it was empty. No one was there, including Chuck," she replied before shaking his head. "Why would he lie to me?"

"Maybe the meeting ended early and he went home," Serena suggested.

"I called him this morning and he said he was in the office until eleven last night," Blair replied. "I was there at ten, Serena."

Serena was at a loss for words as Blair looked away angrily.

"Look, I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding," she stated. "Did you talk to him face to face? Is that where you were?"

"I was just out with Nate having coffee," Blair replied.

"You were out with _Nate_?" Serena asked in surprise. "Why would you do that?"

"What, we can't be friends?" Blair snapped.

"No, not when he wants you back," Serena stated.

"What are you talking about?" Blair asked and rose to her feet.

"Blair, Nate has never made peace with you and Chuck being together, not the first time, not the second and definitely not the last," Serena explained.

"I haven't gotten any vibes from him," Blair stated.

"Why would he need to make any moves when you're already second-guessing Chuck all by yourself?" Serena reminded her, forcing Blair to look away. "Look, all I'm saying is there could have been a number of reasons why he lied to you. But him cheating on you has to be last on the list because he's changed, Blair. You know that better than anyone else because he changed for _you_,"

Blair took her friend's words to heart before leaning in to embrace her.

"I don't want to lose him, S," she cried as a couple tears slipped down her cheeks. "I love him too much."

"Then talk to him, B. Trust me, you're blowing this way out of proportion," Serena stated, wiping her friend's tears away. "It's funny how I'm suddenly the voice of reason."

The two girls shared a laugh before falling back onto their beds.

Chuck's driver pulled to a stop at the corner of East 79th Street and Lexington Avenue. Stepping out, Chuck glanced around the empty road just as his PI approached him from the left.

"What the hell are we doing here?" he asked with a frown. "This isn't exactly the best neighborhood."

"Over there," the PI pointed to a five-floor apartment building across the street. "Her name's Jane Martin. She's twenty-three years old, lost both of her parents to a car accident when she was eleven, grew up on the streets and did a five-month stint in juvenile detention hall."

"That's all fascinating, but what are we doing here?" Chuck asked impatiently.

"She lives right over there, apartment 3B," the man replied.

Turning to face the apartment complex, Chuck started taking a few steps towards it when his PI stopped him.

"Where are you going?" the man asked.

"Where do you think?" Chuck asked in reply, staring at the man's hand on his arm.

Pulling his hand away, the PI shook his head and laughed.

"Yeah, she'll definitely fork over the information we need to you in your Armani suit," he said sarcastically. "Let me talk to her."

Without waiting for a response, the PI began heading to the other side of the street as Chuck watched him go. Leaning his back on the side of the limousine, he stared down the beaten road for a few minutes before his driver walked towards him.

"Sir, I advise you to take a seat inside," the man said, motioning a large group of men sitting on the hoods of broken cars a few hundred meters away.

Before he was able to respond, the PI began walking back towards them.

"What happened?" Chuck asked when the man was within hearing range.

"She wasn't there but her neighbor said she returns every other night," the PI replied. "So she'll be here tomorrow. Do you want me to come back?"

"No," Chuck replied. "You just keep trying to locate Harold Waldorf. I'll come here tomorrow myself."

Opening his door, Chuck climbed back into his limousine as the PI moved towards his own car. As his driver began heading south on Lexington Avenue, Chuck's cell phone began ringing. Sighing, he answered and was surprised to find Serena on the other end of the call.

"Hey dear sister," he said, the sarcasm returning to his voice.

"Chuck, what did you do to Blair?"

"What are you taking about?" he asked with a frown.

"She came to your office last night to see you and you weren't there and then this morning you told her you were," Serena explained quickly, standing in the hallway near her dorm. "Chuck, I swear to God if you hurt her in some way or if you're cheating on her…"

"What are you talking about? Of course I'm not cheating on her," he snapped into the phone.

"Well, she thinks that you are," Serena replied. "You know how insecure she is about you guys, especially after everything that happened last year."

"Serena, I've never given her a single reason these past five months to doubt me," he defended himself.

"Except you are now," she said quietly. "Fix this, Chuck."

Hanging up the phone, she walked back to her dorm room as Chuck shut his phone and sighed.

"Change of plans," he said to his driver. "Head to the corner of Fifth Avenue and West Fifty-Seventh."

Leaning his head back, he tossed his phone onto the leather seat beside him and rubbed his tired face.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Opening her eyes and letting out a loud yawn, Serena sat up and ran a hand through her messy hair. Blair was sitting on her bed, already dressed, reading a book quietly.

"Hey B," Serena said with a smile. "How long have you been up?"

"Not long," Blair replied, forcing a smile.

Rising to her feet, Serena wore her robe and grabbed her bag of toiletries before heading out into the hall. Once she was gone, Blair lowered her book and sighed, remembering what she had heard Serena saying into her phone last night.

_"Chuck, what did you do to Blair? She came to your office last night to see you and you weren't there and then this morning you told her you were...Chuck, I swear to God if you hurt her in some way or if you're cheating on her...Well, she thinks that you are. You know how insecure she is about you guys, especially after everything that happened last year...Except you are now...fix this, Chuck."_

Although Blair couldn't blame Serena for wanting to help her, she knew whatever Chuck would tell her today would be a lie he'd invented at night to get her to forgive him. Not wanting to face him, she gathered her belongings and walked out of the dorm, making a left down the hall and heading towards the library. Moving through the doors, she climbed the stairs to the second floor and took a seat at one of the empty tables at the back. As she opened her books in front of her, Nate approached her from the side.

"Hey," he said as she looked up at him. "I just saw you walk in. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she lied easily.

"You don't look fine," he replied before sighing. "You know what, forget I said that. I came over to apologize about yesterday. I know how much you love Chuck and I'm sure you're right about him. I just don't want to see you get hurt again like last year."

"Thanks for caring," she said and motioned the chair opposite her. "If you're going t stay, you might as well sit here."

Smiling slightly, Nate took the seat across from her and opened his books on the table. As she turned her attention to the written material in front of her, Nate secretly smiled from across the table.

Dressed in a dark grey suit and holding a square jewelry box in his hand, Chuck entered the building and made his way towards Blair's dorm room. Knocking twice, he twisted the doorknob and entered only to find the room empty. Moments later, Serena walked in behind him.

"Hey," she said with a smile. "What's up? Are you here to talk to Blair?"

"I am but she's not here," he said, pointing to the empty bed behind him.

"She was here a few minutes ago when I woke up," Serena stated before noticing the box in his hands. "What's that? Tiffany's?"

Chuck offered her a silent glare before letting out a sigh. "Do you know where she could be?"

"Have you tried calling her cell?" Serena asked before Chuck pointed to Blair's cell phone sitting on the night stand beside her bed. "Well, she doesn't have class for a couple hours so she's probably at the cafeteria or the library."

"If you see her before I do, give me a text and keep her with you," he said and walked out of the room.

Serena shook her head and let out a sigh before tidying her bed. It took Chuck several minutes to locate the cafeteria and when he didn't see any signs of Blair, he made his way towards the library. As he walked through the doors, one of the librarians approached him from behind the main desk, sensing something amiss by his formal attire.

"May I help you?" he asked as Chuck faced him.

"I'm just looking for my girlfriend," he replied and looked through the crowded tables.

"Well, the library is for students only. Guests have to sign in at the main building first," the librarian explained.

"Look, my girlfriend's angry with me right now and I need to find her so I can fix it, alright? I know she's in here. It'll only take a few minutes," Chuck stated.

"Sir, I will call security if you don't leave right now," the man exclaimed.

"You do that," Chuck replied and began walking further into the library.

Without hesitation, the librarian walked towards his desk and grabbed the phone. A few of the students looked up at Chuck in curiosity as he moved through the crowds. Sighing in frustration, he looked up and finally saw her through the tall windows in the center of the library above his head.

"Blair!" he called out, the loudness of his voice causing the rest of the students to look up at him.

From her table at the second floor, Blair looked up from her textbook with a frown.

"What's wrong?" Nate asked.

"Did you hear something?" she asked in confusion.

"No," Nate replied with a light chuckle.

"Blair!" Chuck shouted once more, causing Blair to look down through the window.

A look of surprise covered her face as she rose to her feet and walked to the window. The students in the floor below her all followed his gaze and silently watched the exchange. Slightly embarrassed by his outburst, she looked away just in time to see three security guards entering the library. Turning around, she hurried towards the stairs as Nate watched her go. When she reached the main floor, she rushed forward through the tables just as the security guards reached Chuck.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to vacate the premises," the leader of the three exclaimed.

"It's okay," Blair quickly defended. "He's my boyfriend and I'm a student here."

"Ma'am, he's creating a disturbance," the security guard replied. "The library is for students only."

"I'm sorry, we'll go, okay?" she said and grabbed Chuck's arm.

All eyes remained on them as she pulled him out of the library with the security guards close behind. Once they were on the sidewalk in front of his parked limousine outside, the guards turned around and returned to campus.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, letting go of his arm as he offered her a grin. "It's not funny, Chuck! You embarrassed me in front of everyone!"

"Can you just get in the car?" he asked her.

"No!" she snapped, folding her arms at her chest.

"Please," he pleaded with her.

Sighing in frustration, she climbed into the limousine as he followed her in.

"Just drive us around until I tell you to stop," Chuck informed his driver before shutting the center piece of the limousine, giving them some privacy.

"Say what you have to say and then let me out," she exclaimed.

"I wanted to explain why I wasn't at my office when you came the other night," he began.

"I know Serena called you last night, alright? So don't bother feeding me another lie you prepared," she stated angrily.

"Blair," he said and reached out for her hand.

She pulled it out of his grasp but when he reached forward again, she gave in and let him hold hers.

"I didn't think you'd suspect me cheating on you," he began as she scoffed. "I know I hurt you last year. We hurt each other, repeatedly, but I've changed. I'm not the same guy who ditched you at the helipad and I'm sure as hell not the same guy who slept with dozens of women because I was too damn scared to get close to you. When I told you I loved you for the first time five months ago, I _meant _it."

Blair's stance softened at his words as she intertwined her fingers with his.

"Then where were you?" she asked quietly.

"Buying you this," he replied and placed the jewelry box on her lap.

She stared at it for a moment before looking up at him in confusion.

"I've been so busy with work lately that the only time I have to shop is late at night," he explained. "It was _supposed_ to be for your birthday, but I'll give it to you now."

Blair opened the box with her free hand and saw the diamond necklace staring back at her. The diamond pendant was attached to a small silver plate, hanging on a silver chain. Turning the pendant over, she read the inscription and smiled.

"C & B forever," she said aloud before facing him with tears in her eyes.

"I know it's probably corny, but that's the way I feel," he stated.

"It's not corny," she said, shaking her head.

Removing the necklace from the box, she held it out to him. Untangling his hand from hers, he leaned back as she held her hair up and tied the band behind her neck.

"Do you like it?" he asked, placing his fingers on the skin where the pendant laid.

"I love it," she said and moved closer to him. "And I love _you_. I'm sorry for doubting you."

Before he could say anything, she moved forward to sit on his lap and pressed her lips against his. Pulling away from her for a moment, he brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face.

"Anything I ever do is because I love you," he said, his eyes serious. "Remember that."

Nodding, she leaned back in and kissed him once more.

"You know, it's been a long time since we christened your limousine," she said in-between kisses.

He chuckled lightly as she locked her arms behind his neck and buried her fingers in his hair.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Stepping out of the private car he had rented, Chuck waved at the driver before making his way towards the apartment complex. Dressed in a black suit and overcoat, he ignored the quizzical stares he was getting from people in the neighborhood and entered the run-down building. Climbing three flights of stairs, he stepped into the hallway and knocked on apartment 3B. Within seconds, the door swung open and a young girl with reddish-brown hair stood facing him.

"You're definitely in the wrong neighborhood," she said with a laugh, dressed in skinny jeans and a black halter top.

"My name's Chuck Bass. You're Jane Martin right? I have a few questions for you."

"I don't deal with cops," the girl said and took a step back, instantly losing her smile.

"Do I look like a cop to you?" Chuck asked, his tone of voice firm.

"Then what do you want?"

"I need to know where Harold Waldorf is."

"Never heard of him," she said and came to shut the door when he stopped her.

Removing the photographs from the envelope in his hand, he showed them to her and she let out a loud sigh.

"Look, I don't care that you're his supplier," he said as she crossed her arms at her chest and looked away. "But I need to find him and you're the only one who can tell me where he is."

"Why do you care?" she asked with a scoff. "He's nothing but a deadbeat junkie."

"He's my girlfriend's father," Chuck replied with a sigh.

As she quickly considered her options, a bulky man dressed in sweat pants entered the hallway from his apartment two doors down.

"Hey Jane!" he exclaimed as she poked her head into the hall to face him. "Is this guy giving you any trouble?"

With tattoos inked over his arms and neck, he stared at Chuck for a long, hard moment before she eventually replied.

"No, he's a friend."

Stepping into her apartment, she quickly pulled Chuck inside behind her and shut the door.

"This really isn't the best place for you to show up dressed like you own Manhattan," she said and made her way towards the sofa in the center of the room.

Following her, he took a seat on the old, torn armchair across the sofa.

"So why are you looking for Harold?" she finally asked.

"Because he's been missing for a few weeks and his ex-wife is worried sick," he replied. "Not so much about him but for her daughter."

"Does your girlfriend know he's missing?" she began and he shook his head.

"No, she doesn't know anything," he replied and sighed. "You supply him with heroin?"

Jane glanced at him for a moment before looking away. "You know, you've got no right to barge in here and judge me…"

"I'm not judging you," he corrected quickly. "Look, I've committed my fair share of sins and I've snorted and injected more crap into my body then you can imagine."

Staring at him quizzically, she leaned back in her seat and somewhat relaxed.

"I don't care what you do for a living or how you make ends meet or whatever you want to call it. All I care about is finding Harold Waldorf and you're the only person who can tell me where he is," Chuck explained.

When she made no effort to respond, he reached into his inner coat pocket and removed his checkbook.

"Maybe you haven't heard of my name before but I'm about the richest kid in New York," he began as she looked up at him, a sad look in her eyes. "How much is it going to take for you to talk?"

"I don't want your money," she snapped before getting to her feet. "Do you have any idea what it's like to lose your parents as a kid and have absolutely no one look out for you? Having to live on the streets and doing things you never thought you'd do just to survive?"

He stared at her for a long moment before speaking. "Where is he?"

Scoffing once more, she rolled her eyes and sat back down.

"I don't know where he is," she finally said after a minute. "He calls me when he needs his next supply and that usually ranges between every three to four days."

"Do you go out to meet him or does he come to you?"

"I go out and meet him," she replied. "None of my clients know where I live."

"Alright," he said, placing his checkbook back in his pocket. "When was the last time you supplied him?"

"Four days ago."

"So he should contact you either today or tomorrow then, right?" he asked and she nodded. "When he does, I want you to give me a call. Don't tell him that I'm looking for him because that might scare him off."

Grabbing a pen from his pocket, he scribbled his cell number on a notepad on her coffee table and pushed it towards her.

"Why should I help you?" she asked and he looked up.

"My mother died giving birth to me and my father was killed in a car accident last year," he said quietly. "I may be rich but loss is something I know more than enough about."

Surprised by his response, she softened her posture towards him.

"Last year was the worst year of my life. I disappeared after my father's funeral for a month and drowned myself in whatever I could get my hands on, either alcohol, drugs or women," he explained. "My girlfriend and I weren't officially together back then but I broke her heart by leaving. When she took me back in the summer, I swore to myself that I would never let her go through something like that again, either because of myself or anyone else. Will you help me or not?"

Thinking for a moment, she eventually nodded.

"Fine," she said and let out a sigh. "When he calls me, I'll call you."

Rising to his feet, he came to leave but stopped and turned towards her.

"I know your name, where you live and what you do," he said as she watched him in silence. "Don't screw with me because if you do, I promise you won't like the consequences."

Buttoning his overcoat, he opened the door and walked out of the apartment as she watched him go. Once the echo of his footsteps had disappeared, Jane rose to her feet and entered the rusty balcony at the end of the room. Staring down at the street below, she watched as Chuck climbed into his car and the driver pulled away. As the car grew smaller in the distance, she twirled the piece of paper between her fingers and smiled.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Opening the door to the dorm, Serena collapsed on her bed and pushed the heavy stack of books she had been carrying away. Sitting on her own bed with her back against the wall as she skimmed through one of her books, Blair looked up at her friend.

"Thanks for the help," she said as she and Blair exchanged smiles. "So you never told me what happened with you and Chuck yesterday. Did he apologize?"

"Maybe," Blair said with a shrug, refusing to elaborate.

"B!" Serena exclaimed as Blair laughed, the book still covering her neck from view.

"Yes, he apologized and yes, we made up," she replied. "More than once, actually."

"Details I don't need," Serena said with a disgusted look as Blair laughed again.

"When I went to visit him at the office the other night and he wasn't there, he was at Tiffany's buying my birthday present," she said and lowered the book.

When Serena's eyes caught sight of the diamond necklace, she squealed happily and moved to sit next to her best friend.

"He had it engraved," Blair said, turning the pendant over to show the words.

"Aw, who knew Chuck Bass could be so sweet?" she said with a smile.

"I did," Blair replied and let out a sigh. "Serena, what's wrong with me? Why am I so quick to suspect him?"

"Because he's hurt you before," Serena reminded her.

"But he's been nothing but amazing ever since he told me he loved me in the summer," she stated.

"Maybe but it doesn't mean he's never hurt you, B," she said and touched her friend's shoulder. "It'll take some time for both of you to get used to trusting one another completely."

"I guess," Blair said as the smile returned to her face.

"What?" Serena asked, noticing the lustful look in her eyes.

"Make-up sex with him is so amazing," she gushed, her words causing Serena to plug her ears. "Especially in the back of his limo."

"Stop it! I can't believe I actually ride around in that thing," she exclaimed as Blair laughed aloud. "Why did he get your gift so soon?"

"He's always so busy with work that the only chance he gets to shop is at night and he wanted to get it in case he was going to be too busy later on. He wanted to wait until my birthday to give it to me but I was so angry that he forked it over," she said, playing with the silver chain between her fingers.

"He loves you, B. Don't doubt it."

Smiling happily, Blair pulled her friend into a tight embrace.

"So do you guys have anything planned for later?" Serena asked when they had leaned back.

"Chuck's trying to acquire new property in Brooklyn so he's up to his elbows in work," she replied. "It's just you, me and Nate tonight. Oh, and Humphrey I guess."

"Anything you want to do?"

"Plan Georgina's demise?" Blair replied as both girls shared a laugh.

In his office at Bass Industries, Chuck skimmed through numerous papers left for him on his desk from the accounting department. Running his hand through his hair, he let out a sigh of frustration and pushed the papers away. Glancing at his watch, he slowly rose to his feet and walked towards his high-rise window. Staring at the view below, he stood in silence as the sun began its descent from the sky. A sudden noise from his cell phone caught his attention and he rushed towards his desk. Flipping the phone open, he noticed a text message from an unknown sender which read: _E 116__th__ and Third Avenue, thirty minutes. _Realizing who the message was from, he quickly grabbed his overcoat and walked out of his office.

"I'll be back in an hour. If I'm not, cancel the rest of my meetings and push them to tomorrow," he told his secretary and entered the elevator before she had a chance to comment.

Once he reached the lobby, he walked outside where his driver was waiting with their car rental.

"Corner of East 116th and Third Avenue," he said and climbed into the backseat.

As they drove through stretches of traffic, Chuck kept his eyes focused on the passing world outside his window. When they neared the northern edge of Central Park and entered the outskirts of Harlem, his driver tightened his grip on the wheel. The streets were quiet and empty as the driver eventually pulled to a stop in front of a convenience store.

"Sir, are you sure you want to be here?" he asked from the front.

"No, but I have to," he said and climbed out of the car. "Just wait here and keep your eyes open."

Before the man had a chance to respond, Chuck shut the door and walked across the dark street to the corner Jane had messaged him. Four young teenagers walked past him and tossed him quizzical looks over their shoulders as he lowered his gaze and stood in the shadows.

"Hey," a voice suddenly came.

Looking up, he saw Jane approaching him from the left. Dressed in worn jeans, a black sweater and jacket, she had pulled her hair back in a ponytail.

"I'm surprised you came," she said when she reached him.

"Why? I told you I would."

"I guess I figured you'd send the cavalry instead of showing up here yourself," she said with a shrug. "New York's richest kid, right?"

Sighing quietly, he glanced down both sides of the street.

"Are you sure he'll be here?" he asked.

"He needs what I have," she said and patted her jacket pocket.

Staring at her for a long moment, he frowned and took a small step towards her.

"This isn't exactly a good neighborhood," he said quietly and looked up as an old, broken car slowly made its way down the road.

Once the vehicle had disappeared, he turned back towards her.

"And yet you come here by yourself at night."

"I do what I have to do," she said with another shrug.

"Aren't you afraid?" he asked her as she locked eyes with him.

"Are you?" she asked in return.

"No," he said honestly and she laughed under her breath.

"You look like you just walked out of an ad for Armani into one of the worst neighborhoods around and you're telling me you're not scared?" she said and laughed again.

"No, I'm not," he repeated. "True, if Harold wasn't my girlfriend's father, I would probably never be caught dead in this part of town but I'm here because I love her. That removes the fear."

She watched him for another moment before looking away and folding her arms across her chest.

"You could have at least worn jeans to try and blend in," she mumbled under her breath.

"I don't own jeans," he replied, his words causing her to roll her eyes and smile.

"Typical Upper East-sider," she said and let out a breath she had been holding.

Glancing down a narrow alleyway on her left, she stopped when her eyes caught hold of something. Looking harder, recognition entered her eyes and she sighed.

"Jane?" a quiet voice came from the darkness behind them.

Looking up, Chuck glanced at her and she slowly nodded.

"Harold," she said and entered the alleyway as Chuck watched her go.

When she was only a few feet away, Harold Waldorf stepped into view. Hunched over and dressed in tattered clothing, he rubbed his shaky hands as his red eyes looked into hers.

"Do you have it?" he asked, his voice ragged and hoarse.

Before she had a chance to respond, Chuck stepped into the alley and began walking towards them.

"Who's that?" Harold asked, instinctively taking a step back.

"Hey Mr. Waldorf," Chuck said, stepping under a small streetlight which lit the area they were standing in.

Focusing on Chuck, Harold's eyes suddenly widened when realization dawned upon him.

"Why are you here?" he asked and took another step back. "Why is he here? Why is he _here_?"

"Harold, I'm here to help you, alright?" Chuck said and took a small step towards him, holding his hands up in defense. "Ramón spoke with Eleanor and she told me that you've been gone for a few weeks. I'm just here to help you."

"Help me? _Help me_?" he shouted and backed away even more. "You can't help me!"

"Look, why don't we just go get a cup of coffee somewhere," Chuck said calmly. "My driver's waiting down the street."

As he came to touch Harold's arm, the older man leapt away and pressed his back against the wall. Shocked by his behavior and the savage look in his eyes, Chuck stepped back.

"Don't come near me!" he shouted and faced Jane as Chuck held his hands up once more. "Do you have it?"

"Harold, maybe you should go with him. You know, get some food in your stomach," she said as he let out a hysterical laugh.

"Forget it!" he snapped and turned around.

"What about your daughter?" Chuck suddenly asked, his words forcing Harold to stop in his tracks and slowly face him.

"Does…she…know?" he asked quietly.

"No," Chuck said and noticed the older man's look of relief. "But she will soon enough. Just come with me and I'll help you."

"You can't help me," he cried, his voice sounding lost and afraid.

Before Chuck could say anything else, Harold spun around and began running down the alleyway. Rushing after him despite Jane's protests, Chuck tried his hardest to keep up with the older man. Running into a clearance up ahead, Harold ducked to his left and disappeared from view. Entering the clearance, Chuck stopped to look around himself and let out a frustrated sigh when he realized that Harold was gone. Swearing under his breath, he looked back to see Jane jogging towards him.

"Where is he?" she asked, panting lightly when she reached him.

"I don't know," he said, the anger in his voice evident. "He's gone."

"He'll be back," she assured him as he turned to face her. "He's an addict and the one thing you can say about addicts is that they always come back."

Staring at her for another moment, he removed his gaze to his surroundings and noticed four men standing in the shadows of a run-down house several yards away, watching them.

"We should get out of here," she said and immediately began heading down the alley.

Without any hesitation, he turned around and followed her back to Third Avenue. Crossing the street, Chuck opened the backseat door and turned to face her.

"I'll give you a ride, get in," he said.

"It's fine, I'll get home on my own," she replied, shaking her head. "I'll call you if he contacts me again."

Without waiting for him to respond, she walked down Third Avenue as he watched her disappear within the shadows. Finally climbing into the backseat, he shut the door and closed his eyes.

"Just take me home," he said as the driver quickly pulled onto the main road.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Smiling politely at the secretary, Eleanor opened the door and walked into the office.

"I just got your message Charles," she said, her voice causing Chuck to look up from the folder on his desk. "Did you find him?"

Sighing heavily, Chuck slowly rose to his feet and nodded.

"Thank God!" Eleanor exclaimed, clasping her hand over her heart in relief before noticing Chuck's silence. "What's wrong?"

"He wouldn't let me help him," he replied and looked past her shoulder into thin air. "He ran off and I lost track of him."

"Oh God," Eleanor whispered before collapsing in one of the chairs across from him. "What now?"

"The girl, his supplier, thinks he'll contact her again. When he does, I won't go alone," he replied before sitting back down.

"How was he?" she asked quietly, staring down at her joined hands over her lap. "How did he look?"

"Not good," he replied honestly, his response making Eleanor look away with tears forming in her eyes.

He allowed her a moment to collect herself before speaking again.

"Eleanor, you _need_ to tell her."

Looking into his eyes, she eventually nodded in agreement.

"It's Lily's charity dinner tomorrow evening and Blair's been looking forward to dining with her school Dean for weeks," she explained and rose to her feet. "Once the dinner is over, I'll speak with her then."

She came to leave the office but instead leaned forward and touched his shoulder just as he rose from his seat.

"Thank you for everything you've done, Charles."

He offered her a small smile that she returned before lowering her gaze and walking out of the room as he watched her go.

Paying the driver his fee, Blair stepped out of the vehicle and shut the door behind her. Lifting her head towards the sky, a smile covered her face as she gazed up at the Tiffany sign.

"Blair?" a voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

Looking to her left, she watched at Nate waved goodbye to a few friends before walking towards her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked with a frown. "Are you having another one of your Audrey Hepburn fantasies?"

"_No_," she said with a roll of her eyes before pointing to the diamond pendant around her neck. "Chuck bought this for me as an early birthday gift. That's where he was three nights ago when I went to visit him…here, at Tiffany's."

"Oh," he said, trying his hardest to hide his disappointment.

"So I want to get him something in return," she said, her smile widening. "Since you're already here, do you want to help me pick something out?"

"Sure," Nate said with a fake smile before following her inside the empty jewelry store.

Ten attendants dressed in professional attire stood at various counters while two security guards stood by the elevators at the end of the room.

"Ms. Waldorf!" Victor, the Store Manager, greeted her enthusiastically as they approached the main counter. "I see you received the present Mr. Bass picked out for you. I hope that you were satisfied."

"More than satisfied," she replied with a smile and touched the pendant around her neck. "He snuck here to get this for me so I want to return the favor and get something for him too. I was thinking maybe a new watch or cuff links."

"Of course," the older man said with a wide smile that showcased his perfect set of teeth. "When Mr. Bass showed up here at ten in the morning, he was desperate to find the perfect gift for you."

Frowning at his words, Blair let out a confused laugh.

"Don't you mean ten at night?" she asked as Nate looked up at her in realization.

"No, my dear, he was here two mornings ago," he said with a bright smile. "Mr. Bass is one of our most adored clients. I never forget when he comes and what he buys. Let me get our newest catalogue for you."

As he walked off towards another counter, Blair blinked repeatedly to digest what she had just heard.

"Blair…," Nate began but she instantly cut him off.

"Victor just got his days mixed up, that's all," she exclaimed as he looked away and sighed.

As the Manager walked back towards them holding a leather folder in his arms, Blair held up her hand to stop him.

"You know what? I actually have to go right now. I have lunch plans that I forgot I had so I'll have to come back some other time."

"You are always welcome here, my dear," he said with a warm smile.

Trying her hardest to return the gesture, she turned and rushed out of the store as Nate quickly followed her.

"Blair, wait!" he exclaimed, grabbing her arm and turning her around so she was facing him.

"He got his days mixed up!" she snapped, the anger in her voice forcing him to release her arm. "_That's all!_"

"Are you sure that's what it is?" he asked her quietly.

"I'm not going to suspect him again," she stated, her voice full of conviction. "He loves me, I know he does. He'd never hurt me like that."

"But he did," Nate said, gazing into her eyes as tears began to form in her own. "Last year, remember?"

"Last year, his father died and his mind was all over the place!" she exclaimed, ignoring the countless stares they were receiving from people passing by on the sidewalk. "You remember the funeral. You saw how broken he was. I don't hold that against him, Nate."

"I remember how sad he was…but so were you," he reminded her.

"That's because he wouldn't let me all the way in. He wouldn't let me help me," she replied, her anger refusing to calm. "He's different, now. He's changed. He's calmer."

"How long are you going to make excuses for him?" he asked, his question taking her by surprise as she took a small step back and looked away. "I'm not saying that he doesn't love you, but you've known Chuck just as long as I have."

Lifting her gaze to meet his eyes, she hesitated for a moment before responding.

"He's _changed_," she repeated before leaving his side and flagging down the nearest cab.

As he watched her climb into the backseat and ride away, he ran a hand through his hair and groaned loudly. Inside the cab, Blair's lip quickly began to quiver and a gentle tear rolled down her cheek. Angrily wiping it away, she straightened her posture and forced herself to focus on the passing images through her window as the driver continued to watch her quizzically through his rearview mirror.


	13. Chapter 13

Hey guys, you're probably surprised that I'm updating so quickly now. Please leave me reviews so I know whoever's reading it is enjoying it too :) Thanks!

Chapter Thirteen

Standing in front of her bedroom mirror with Eleanor and Cyrus busy downstairs, Blair stared at her reflection in silence. Transfixed on the image that she saw, she was unaware that Serena had entered the house and was making her way upstairs.

"Hey!" she greeted cheerfully before sitting down on Blair's bed.

Snapping out of her daze, Blair turned around and faced her best friend quietly.

"What's wrong?" Serena asked, noticing the look in Blair's eyes.

"Nothing," she replied before plastering a fake smile on her face. "I'm just nervous about tonight."

"Well, I'm sure that you'll dazzle the Dean the moment he lays eyes on you," Serena assured her as Blair nodded. "Have you picked out what you're going to wear?"

"Yeah," Blair said absently before walking towards her large walk-in closet.

Pulling something off of one of the racks, she walked towards Serena and showed her a simple yet elegant knee-high black evening dress with black beads sewn into the straps and hem.

"B, it's gorgeous," she gushed. "Where did you get it?"

"Chuck bought it for me a few weeks ago," she replied and held the dress close to her body.

"He really has really good taste," Serena said with a laugh as Blair smiled sadly.

"Yeah, he does," she agreed and walked over to the mirror.

Holding the dress in front of her, it took all the strength she had to stop herself from breaking down in front of her best friend.

"Ms. Blair, Mr. Chuck is here," Dorota's voice suddenly came from downstairs.

Sniffling quietly and composing herself, she turned towards the door just as Chuck walked inside her room.

"Hey bro," Serena said with a smile as he rolled his eyes and walked towards Blair.

Pressing his lips onto hers, he kissed her lightly as Serena let out a disgusted noise and rose to her feet.

"The two of you really need to stop doing that when I'm around."

"Have you forgotten your touchy-feely relationship with Humphrey last year?" Chuck replied as Serena mimicked his move and rolled her eyes. "Images of the two of you drooling over one another still haunt me to this day."

"Shut up!" Serena laughed and playfully pushed him back. "I'm going to help my mom and Eleanor downstairs with the seating arrangements."

Walking out of the room, she made her way downstairs as Chuck turned to fully face his girlfriend.

"You're wearing that?" he asked, a grin forming on his face as he noticed the dress she was holding.

"Yeah," she said absently.

"It looks really sexy on you," he said before taking the dress out of her hands and casually tossing it on her bed.

Before she had a chance to say anything, he enveloped her into his arms and buried his face in the crook of her neck. With tears threatening to form in her eyes once more, she tightened her hold on his body as he inhaled her scent and groaned quietly. Leaning back, she gazed deep into his eyes for a moment before speaking.

"I love you," she said, her words making him smile.

"I love you too," he repeated and for the first time ever, the words sounded empty to Blair.

Noticing the confusion in her eyes, he inched away from her and frowned.

"Is something wrong?"

"No," she said and moved away from him.

Grabbing the dress off her bed, she held it in front of her body and stared at her reflection in the mirror once more.

"Are you coming tonight?"

"You're going with your mom, right?" he asked and she nodded through the mirror. "Then I'll meet you at the hall at eight."

"Fine," she said and smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress.

"Blair," he said, gently pulling her arm so she was facing him. "I can see that something's bothering you. What is it?"

"Nothing," she said quietly.

"I thought we agreed, no more secrets," he said firmly.

She let out a small laugh at his words, her reaction causing him to frown once more.

"Am I missing something?" he asked, the confusion in his voice apparent.

"I'm not keeping any secrets," she said pointedly.

"Good, neither am I," he replied.

"Okay," she said before leaning in and kissing his cheek. "I have to help my mom and Lily for a while so I'll see you tonight then."

He watched her for another moment before turning around and walking out of her room. Once the echo of his footsteps had disappeared, Blair angrily tossed the dress angrily onto her chair. Moving towards the nearest wall, she shrunk down to her feet and wrapped her arms around her knees as the tears began to spread over her cheeks. Moments passed when Serena bounced into the room with a laugh, only to lose her smile when she noticed the state her friend was in.

"Blair, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly and rushed to her side. "Did something happen with Chuck?"

Instead of responding, Blair leaned into her friends' arms and embraced her tightly as the tears continued to fall.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Serena continued to press as she comforted her friend as best as she could. "What did he do?"

"Nothing," Blair finally said before leaning back and laughing through her tears. "I'm just happy."

"Blair, you're crying and it's not because you're happy," Serena pointed out, the worry refusing to leave.

"No, it's fine," she said and wiped the wetness from her face.

"B," Serena said expectantly.

"I love him with all my heart," she suddenly said before looking down at her intertwined fingers. "Last year after Bart died and he disappeared, you have no idea how hard it was for me. I thought about him every second, worried if he was eating right and praying that he wasn't lying dead in a ditch somewhere. When Jack brought him back after an entire month, the look in Chuck's eyes scared me so much. It's like he wasn't even there."

"But things are different now," Serena stated. "You said so yourself, remember?"

"I don't think he understands how much I love him or how much power he has over me," Blair stated sadly. "He can break me so easily."

"He loves you just the same," Serena said with a smile as Blair looked away. "You know that, right?"

Looking up into her friend's eyes, she gradually smiled and nodded her head.

"Of course I do," she said and noticed the relief wash over Serena's face.

"No more crying then," she said and pulled Blair to her feet. "We're all going to go to the charity dinner tonight and we're going to have a great time. You're happy and in love and it's time to start acting like it."

Laughing at her friend's words, Blair nodded in agreement as Serena pulled her towards her dresser and sat her down in front of the mirror.

"Time to make you look like a princess," Serena said, standing behind Blair and staring at her through the mirror.

Tossing Serena a quizzical look, the blond girl rolled her eyes and let out a sigh.

"Excuse me, like a queen," she said as Blair nodded. "Good to know your mood's already changing for the better."

As Serena turned and disappeared into the bathroom, Blair stared at her reflection once more and the smile on her face quickly vanished.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Standing in front of his mirror in his bedroom, Chuck straightened his tie around his neck. Dressed in a black suit with a white dress shirt, vest and tie, he rubbed the nape of his neck and let out a tired sigh. Grabbing his black overcoat, he slowly pushed his arms through the fabric and draped his white scarf around his neck. Just as he was about to leave, his eyes caught hold of a photo in the corner of his dresser. Walking towards it, he gently lifted the silver frame. A small smile covered his own face as he stared at a photo of Blair laughing happily at the camera. As thoughts of her father entered his mind, he placed the frame back down and angrily walked out of his suite.

The large hall was decorated with bright lights while a vast crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling in the middle of the auditorium. Round tables were placed throughout the hall with guests of the Upper East Side making their way inside. At a table located at the center of the floor, Blair stood behind her seat while Eleanor, Cyrus, Lily and Rufus engaged in quiet conversation beside her. Wearing the same dress she had picked out earlier, her hair hung in loose curls over her shoulders while she wore the necklace Chuck had given her around her neck. Subconsciously touching the diamond pendant, she turned around when she heard someone clearing their throat behind her. The hope in her eyes quickly disappeared when she saw Nate standing with a broad smile, dressed in a black tuxedo.

"Blair, you look amazing," he said as she returned the smile. "Listen, I'm sorry about what I said yesterday. I know I keep repeating myself and then I keep apologizing again but I just don't want to see you get hurt. So for the final time, I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she replied and lowered her gaze.

"Chuck's probably just late because he wants to make an entrance," he said and she looked up at him.

"I know," she said and sighed. "I'm waiting for both him and the Dean, actually."

"Yeah, tonight's the night you're going to schmooze with the Dean, right? Suck up to him a little?" he said as she laughed.

"Maybe just a little," she agreed just as Serena approached them from the side, dressed in a glittering red evening gown.

"Serena…wow," Nate managed to say as she laughed.

"Thank you," she replied with a sweet smile before turning to Blair. "Where's Chuck?"

"Running late," she said and turned her gaze towards the entrance.

As she watched numerous people pile in and out of the hall, a nervous feeling filled her stomach.

Climbing out of his rental car outside, Chuck began making his way towards the hall entrance when his cell phone began ringing.

Stopping in his tracks, he flipped open the device and answered. "Chuck Bass."

_"It's Jane. Harold called me a few minutes ago. He wants to meet at East 116__th__ and Third Avenue again."_

"When?" Chuck asked with a sigh.

_"Right now; where are you?"_

"I'm outside the Royal Hall on Ninth," he said and watched as countless people walked past him into the building.

_"I'm only a few minutes away from there. Wait there for me and we'll go together. It'll save a lot of time."_

"Fine, hurry up," he said and shut his cell phone.

Staring at the bright lights shining from the lobby, Chuck groaned loudly before making his way inside. Showing his invitation to the hostess, he walked past the coat check and entered the immense hall. Searching through the sea of people, he spotted Blair at the center of the crowd and quickly made his way towards her. As he neared her table, he recognized Serena and Nate standing by her side. Once he was close enough, a bright smile covered Blair's face as she leapt into his arms and kissed him happily. Both Nate and Serena looked away as Blair pressed her forehead against his and ran her fingers through his hair.

"I'm so glad you're here," she said with a wide smile.

Hating himself for what he was about to do, he pulled away and sighed.

"Blair, something just came up at work," he began and noticed the smile slowly fading from her face. "I have to go back to the office but I won't be long. I'll be back here before you know it."

"You're leaving?" she asked and took a step away from him.

Both Nate and Serena exchanged glances as they stood behind them and listened.

"It's an emergency," he said and she scoffed.

"You know how important tonight is to me and you're leaving for some stupid deal at work?" she snapped at him.

Hating himself even more for lying, he nodded.

"I won't be gone long," he repeated. "I'll be back in time to help you schmooze with the Dean, I promise."

Staring at him in bewilderment, she shook her head and backed away.

"Just go," she said, her voice as cold as ice.

"Blair, I'll make it up to you, I promise," he said and came to reach for her arm but she yanked it away.

"Leave," she repeated, her voice firm and strong.

He looked above her head to where Eleanor was standing and shared a knowing look with her before turning around and leaving. A part of her had hoped that he would have stayed, but as she watched him walk further and further away from her, her heart began breaking into a thousand pieces.

"B…," Serena began and touched her shoulder.

"I'll be right back," she said and quickly took off after him.

Rushing through the crowd as her friends watched her go, Blair ran to the stairs outside the lobby doors and searched for him. When her eyes finally caught hold of his figure, what she saw made the blood in her veins freeze. A few meters away at the edge of the sidewalk, Blair watched as Chuck spoke to a red-haired girl dressed in skinny jeans and a denim jacket next to his car. She watched as the girl flirtatiously tossed her hair across her shoulders while speaking to him before climbing into his car. Her voice froze in her throat as she stared at the scene in front of her in shock. Before she was able to speak or move, Chuck climbed into his car after the girl and his driver took off down the street.

She stood there for what seemed like an eternity, allowing herself to digest what she had just seen. Numb from the pain she knew she would soon enough feel, Blair turned around and slowly walked back into the hall. Heading towards her table like a zombie, she walked past her friends and moved towards the bar as they rushed after her.

"Blair, what happened?" Serena asked, sensing the sudden change in her friend.

"I need a drink," she said and waved the bartender over. "Vodka."

Before the bartender could say anything, Blair angrily cut him off.

"My best friend's mother threw this dinner tonight and the invitation says an open bar so get me vodka."

The young man held his hands up in defense and walked away to retrieve her drink as Serena sat down next to her.

"Blair, you're scaring me. What happened? Did you talk to Chuck?"

"No," she said, her voice shaky. "He was already gone."

"Then why are you acting like this?" Serena asked worriedly.

"Because I'm angry!" Blair snapped and quickly downed the drink the bartender had poured her. "Another!"

Once the liquid had been poured, she downed the second shot and rose to her feet.

"Let's dance," she said, dragging Nate behind her.

"Blair, what are you doing?" Serena said as she ran after them.

"Chuck thinks that he can cheat on me and get away with it?" she snapped, the alcohol already taking an effect. "Think again!"

"What are you talking about?" Serena asked in confusion.

"I saw him get into his car and leave with _her_!" she cried.

"Who?" Serena demanded.

"He left me, the girl he supposedly _loves_, to be with some cheap, red-haired whore!"

As onlookers around them watched her rant in shock and dismay, she grabbed Nate's hand and led him further down the dance floor. Unsure of what else to do, Serena rushed towards her table and searched for her cell phone.

Inside his car, Chuck stared at his silver cell phone for a moment before silencing the ringer and placing it in his inner coat pocket.

"How did he sound on the phone?" he asked as Jane turned towards him.

"Desperate," she replied. "Sorry for ruining your plans."

"No, I'm glad you called," he said and sighed. "Although my girlfriend's going to kill me when she sees me later tonight, this is important."

"So what exactly is your plan? He didn't listen to you last time. What makes you think he'll listen now?"

"Because this time my driver's going to come with me and the three of us are going to force him into my car," he replied. "He's coming with me whether he likes it or not."

Turning his attention to the view outside his window, he sat oblivious to his ringing cell phone.

"Chuck, it's Serena. Blair says she saw you getting into your car with some girl just now. If you're cheating on her, so help you God but if it's just a misunderstanding, you need to call either her or me right now and fix it," she exclaimed before shutting her phone.

Letting out a loud sigh, she turned her gaze and watched as Blair locked her arms around Nate's neck and pressed her forehead to his.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

As his driver pulled the vehicle to a stop on the side of the main road, Chuck and Jane stepped out onto the sidewalk. Excluding the occasional person or car that passed them, the intersection was quiet and deserted. Buttoning her jacket to keep herself warm from the cool breeze, Jane turned to face the younger boy as his driver locked the car and stepped beside them.

"How old are you?" she suddenly asked as Chuck faced her with a frown.

"Eighteen, why?"

"You seem so much older," she said quietly.

"Like I said, I've seen my share of bad days, drank my share of alcohol and taken my share of products from people like you," he replied.

"That's all you see when you look at me? A drug dealer?" she asked, trying to hide the sadness in her voice from showing.

"Why does it matter?" he asked with a frown. "If everything goes according to plan tonight, then you and I will never have to cross paths ever again."

"Right," she said with a wry smile before pointing towards a different alleyway from the one they had seen Harold in the other night. "Over there."

"Let's go," Chuck said as the three of them began heading across the empty street, the only sound was that of their footsteps against the pavement.

Slowly walking into the alleyway, they stopped under a dim streetlight and exchanged glances.

As the music continued to blare through the dance floor, Blair removed her arms from around Nate's neck and sighed.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, already hating the distance.

"I need some air," she said and left his side.

He instantly followed her and the two of them walked side by side up the curved staircase to the second floor. Making a right at the top of the stairs, Blair walked towards the elegant balcony and stepped outside, the music nothing more than a whisper.

"Are you alright?" he asked, coming to stand beside her.

"No," she said as the tears began to form in her eyes.

"Blair," Nate tried, but couldn't find the right words to say.

"I'm not okay," she said as her lower lip began to quiver.

"Hey, it's going to be fine," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder in comfort.

"I'm _not_ okay!" she exclaimed as the tears suddenly exploded over her cheeks.

Burying her face in her hands, she started crying and he immediately pulled her against him. Running his hands up and down her back, he pressed his cheek against the top of her head as she cried.

"What time did he say?" Chuck asked and tapped his watch.

"Soon," she replied. "Why do you keep playing with your watch? Is it your lucky charm or something?"

Before Chuck was able to respond, Harold slowly emerged from the shadows ahead of them. Looking even worse than the day before, he scratched the length of his arms with his trembling fingers before looking up at them.

"Charles?" he asked quietly.

"Mr. Waldorf," Chuck said, taking a slow step towards him.

Looking past his shoulder, Harold stared at the two people behind Chuck before shaking his head and stepping back.

"Only you," he said and shuddered. "Only you, only you, only you."

Understanding what he meant, Chuck turned back to his driver and Jane who were staring at him expectantly.

"Why don't the two of you wait by the car," he suggested.

"Sir, I don't think that's such a good idea," his driver began to protest.

"Just wait by the car until I call you or until I come out with him," he repeated firmly.

Nodding reluctantly, the driver began making his way down the alley and towards the main road as Jane faced him with a frown.

"Do you know what you're doing?" she asked quietly.

"I've known him all my life. We'll be fine," he assured her.

"It's your call," she said before sighing. "Word of advice, though…never trust an addict."

With that, she tossed him a final glance before following the driver towards the main road. Once they had disappeared from view, Chuck turned his attention back to Harold.

"Just you and me now, Mr. Waldorf," he said with a small smile.

Pulling out of Nate's arms, Blair ran a hand through her hair before lifting her gaze to meet his eyes. With the stain of tears still covering her face, she stood frozen as he slowly lowered his face to hers.

"Eleanor has been really worried about you and so is Ramon," he began as Harold kept his eyes fixed on the damp pavement beneath his feet. "I just want to help you. Will you come back with me so I could help you?"

When the older man didn't respond, Chuck changed his footing.

"Blair's birthday is coming up in a couple weeks," he said and Harold lowered his gaze even further. "I love your daughter, Mr. Waldorf. She's shown me what love and trust are, things that I never thought I'd be lucky enough to have. You remember how I was growing up. I did what I wanted and to hell with the consequences."

Refusing to meet his eyes, Harold stared at his dirty shoes as Chuck continued.

"When my father died last year, there was a part of me that wanted to die too," he said, his words causing Harold to bite his lower lip and lift his gaze to the other end of the alley. "Blair comforted me when she had every reason not to and she loved me even though I kept hurting her and pushing her away. She gave me a reason to live. I know you love your daughter, but what you're doing right now is hurting her. She may not know the truth about what you're going through, but Eleanor's going to tell her soon enough. Please, just come with me and let me help you…for Blair."

For the first time since Chuck had entered the alley, Harold faced him and held eye contact for a long minute. Chuck was able to see a mixture of feelings flashing through the older man's eyes, from sadness to regret to horror. Before he had a chance to say anything else, Harold took off in lightening speed in the opposite direction away from the main road.

"Wait!" Chuck exclaimed as he took off after him.

Moments after Nate pressed his lips against hers, he pulled back to see if she would protest. When she made no gesture to stop him, he repeated the act and slowly deepened the kiss. Her arms moved to lock behind his neck as his hands traveled down to her waist, holding her tightly against his body. Moving them backwards into the room, he guided her towards a large leather sofa against the wall and lowered her onto the cushions before covering her body with his.

"Just let me help you, please!" Chuck exclaimed as he ran down the dark maze-like alleyway.

When he finally entered a narrow clearing, he stopped dead in his tracks. Harold was standing next to broken car while five brawny men stood beside him.

"Is this him?" the man in the front, covered in gang tattoos, asked and Harold quietly nodded.

"Harold, what's going on?" Chuck asked, staring between the new faces before his eyes landed on the older man. "Who are these people?"

"My name's Ricco and my friend Harold here says that you can pay off his debt to me," the man in the front began, dressed in bulky sweatpants and a dirty undershirt.

"What debt?" Chuck asked in confusion.

"The thirty thousand he owes me for funding his little drug habit," Ricco replied.

Chuck's eyes quickly moved to Harold and he watched as two of the gang members held the frail man firmly in place.

"He owes you thirty grand?"

"That's right and he says that_ you_ can pay it off," Ricco replied before smiling. "I'll be collecting interest though, so fifty big ones should square us off."

"Fifty thousand?" Chuck asked before sighing. "Fine, let me call my accountant and…"

"No, no, no," Ricco said before taking a step towards Chuck. "I'm a simple man and I only take cash."

"I don't carry that sort of money on me," Chuck replied and glanced back at Harold who refused to meet his gaze. "Let me go to the nearest bank machine and I can get a few grand for you."

"A few grand?" Ricco said before he and his friends laughed aloud. "A few grand isn't going to cut it, _friend_."

"What do you want me to do? I told you, I don't carry that kind of cash on me," Chuck exclaimed as the anger began to seethe through his words.

"I want my money!" Ricco suddenly shouted, moving to stand inches away from Chuck's face.

"Aright," Chuck said and held his hands up to calm the man down.

Unclasping the diamond watch from his wrist, he paused briefly before placing it in Ricco's hand.

"That's a genuine Rolex. It's worth almost fifty grand in itself," he explained.

"Who's B. B?" Ricco asked, reading the initials inscribed in the back panel of the watch.

"My father," Chuck said and Harold finally looked up at him, his eyes filled with regret.

"You got your money, Ricco," he suddenly said and wriggled free from the two men holding him. "Just go, please."

Thinking it over for a moment, the man shook his head and smiled.

"If he can cough a watch worth fifty grand, he's got to have more on him," he said and stared directly into Chuck's eyes.

As Nate's hands traveled to Blair's hair, her eyes suddenly flew open and she squirmed under his touch.

"What's wrong?" he asked, pulling away to look at her.

"Get off!" she exclaimed, pushing him away with all the strength she had.

"Blair, I…," he tried but she jumped to her feet and quickly straightened her dress.

"This was a mistake," she cried, wrapping her arms around herself. "I can't believe I did that."

"Blair, he's cheating on you," Nate pointed out.

"It doesn't matter," she cried. "He may be able to hurt me like this but I can't do it to him. I love him too much."

He came to reach out to her but she quickly stepped back as her tears continued to stream down her face.

"Don't touch me! I _love_ him, Nate," she exclaimed. "So much that it consumes me."

"So that's it? You're just going to forgive him and take him back?" he asked with a frown.

"I don't know what I'm going to do but I know I can't do this," she said before turning around and walking out of the room.

As she made her way into the ladies room at the end of the corridor, she missed Serena watching her from the middle of the stairs. Climbing the rest of the way to the second floor, she entered the room and one look at Nate's disheveled clothes was all it took for her to understand.

"Serena, what are you doing here?" he asked in frustration.

She took him by surprise by slapping him hard on his cheek. Touching his stinging face, he turned towards her in shock.

"What the hell was that for?"

"How dare you take advantage of her like that?" she snapped. "Her mind's all over the place right now, thinking that the man she's loved with all her heart for so long is cheating on her."

"I'm not that different from Chuck. If I remember correctly, didn't he take Blair's virginity in the back of his limo twenty minutes after we had broken up?" he asked angrily.

"I don't even know you anymore," she said sadly. "The way I remember it, _you're_ the one who cheated on Blair first and with me, no less. Did you forget _that _part?"

Without waiting for a response, she stormed out of the room, leaving Nate to his thoughts.

"What else do you have on you?" Ricco asked, pushing Chuck back until his back was pressed against the cold wall.

"Nothing," he replied.

"Ricco, you have your money. Just get out of here, please!" Harold pled with him desperately.

"Empty your pockets," he said, ignoring the older man.

"I don't have anything else, I swear."

Ricco hesitated for a moment before suddenly removing a gun from the back hem of his pants. Pointing it directly at Chuck, he triggered the gun and stared straight into Chuck's eyes as the rest of his friends moved to stand behind him.

"Alright, let's just calm down," Chuck said and quickly swallowed his fear as he stared between the gun and the man holding it.

"Check his pockets," he snapped at one of his friends.

Before anyone was able to move, a distant voice captured their attention.

"Mr. Bass!" Chuck's driver exclaimed as he and Jane entered the alleyway.

"I thought you said it would only be him!" Ricco exclaimed, turning to face Harold in anger. "Who else is here?"

"No one, just my driver," Chuck replied. "Look, you have your money so just turn around and walk away."

Quickly pondering his options, Ricco shook his head and turned towards Harold with an angry sneer. The older man cowered away in fear just as Ricco pointed his gun towards him.

"No!" Chuck shouted and leapt forward.

As he and Ricco struggled with the weapon, a shot suddenly went off, silencing the world around them. Stumbling back, Chuck slowly looked down and noticed the red spots on his white shirt expanding.

"Ricco, what the hell did you do, man?" one of the younger members cried out.

"Let's get out of here!" another one exclaimed, pulling their leader away.

Chuck's feet gave way beneath him and he slid down to the ground, his back pressed against the cold wall.

"If you tell _anyone_, you're next!" Ricco threatened Harold before he and his friends disappeared down the alley.

Blinking through his surprise, Chuck slowly looked up at Blair's father.

"Help me," he whispered, his breaths turning shallow.

Shaking uncontrollably, Harold slowly began to back away from him. As Chuck watched helplessly, he turned around and took off after the group. Pressing the back of his head against the wall, he heard his driver's cries growing closer and closer. Inching his fingers towards his inner coat pocket, he grabbed hold of his phone and dragged it onto his lap. Flipping the lid open, he saw a missed call from Serena covering the screen. Breathing erratically, his shaky finger began to dial a number when the strength he had vanished and the phone fell out of his hands onto the ground. Staring at the device, he let out a harsh cough before leaning back against the cold, brick wall. As his eyes slowly closed, the blood continued to trickle down from his wound and mix with the damp pavement beneath him.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

The doors to the emergency ward burst open and two paramedics wheeled an unconscious Chuck into the hospital, his suit fully soiled with blood.

"What do we have?" the ER Attending asked as he met the paramedics at the door.

"Eighteen year old male, G.S.W to the chest," the first paramedic explained as they wheeled the gurney down the hall. "Entry site one inch below the nipple in the midclavicular line. No exit wound."

"No appreciable breath sounds, B.P 183 over 106," the second paramedic added.

Pushing him into the first trauma room, they were met by another doctor and two nurses.

"On my count," the Attending began. "One, two, three."

Slowly lifting Chuck's unconscious body, they moved him to the hospital gurney and the paramedics left the room.

"Pupils fixed and dilated," the second doctor stated as they began their examination.

"Start a central line," the Attending replied before cutting through the layers of clothes to examine the penetrated spot.

Chuck's eyes suddenly fluttered open and he blinked through the bright lights shining down on him.

"Dr. Hunter, he's awake," one of the nurses declared as the Attending turned his attention to Chuck's open eyes.

"Son, do you know where you are?"

Confused, he slowly shook his head.

"You were shot earlier tonight. You're at the hospital," Dr. Hunter explained.

A look of worry shot through his eyes before a violent cough erupted from his throat. As the cough intensified, blood began trickling out the side of his mouth. Pressing the back of his head against the gurney, he watched in silence as the medical staff rushed around him. Deafening out their noises, he blinked back his tears as Blair's image floated into his mind. One of the machines suddenly began beeping and Dr. Hunter looked down just in time to see his eyes closing. Glancing over at the monitor, he watched as Chuck's heart flat-lined.

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Blair took a deep, calming breath before straightening the wrinkles in her dress. Wiping the remainder of her tears away, she left the ladies restroom and began heading towards the elegant staircase. Gripping the handle with her left hand, she slowly began making her was back to the ballroom floor. The first face she noticed when she reached the ground was Nate, standing several feet away next to his mother. They shared a look before Blair averted her gaze. Making her way towards their table, she stopped between her mother and Serena.

"Blair, I've been looking for you," Eleanor began as her daughter pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Sorry, I just needed some air," she replied quietly.

Before Eleanor could say anything more, she was pulled away to greet a few friends, her distance allowing Blair to let out a shaky breath of relief.

"Blair," Serena began as the two friends faced one another. "I saw you running off from Nate upstairs. His shirt was un-tucked and his hair was all over the place. Did the two of you…?"

"I didn't sleep with him," Blair quickly cut her off. "We were kissing and I stopped it."

Sadly playing with the strands of her hair, she looked up at Serena who was able to see the hurt in her eyes.

"I know what I did was wrong…but I can't believe he's…," she said, the tears threatening to form once more. "Why, Serena?"

"Are you sure he's cheating on you? Do you know who that girl was? She could be anybody," Serena explained.

"He lied to me about where he was that night when I visited him at his office and he wasn't there. If it was nothing important, then why would he lie? He even went so far to buy me a diamond necklace and lied that it was for my birthday," Blair replied. "And then he left me tonight on a night he knows is important to me to get in his car with some other girl. What am I supposed to think?"

"Sweetie, I'm not taking Chuck's side and if he is cheating on you, God help him from my wrath," Serena began and placed her hand on Blair's arm. "But I've seen the look in his eyes when he's with you, Blair. He loves you."

"So you think he isn't cheating on me?" Blair asked incredulously.

"I'm just saying that you should give him the benefit of the doubt before running off and hooking up with Nate," she said before sighing, realizing that her words had hurt Blair even more. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to come out as harsh as it did. I just think that you owe it to him and to yourself to let him explain."

Looking away from Serena, Blair watched as Eleanor made her way back towards them.

"Did you get a chance to speak with the Dean?"

"No, he was preoccupied," she lied easily.

"Well, if you have a few minutes, there's something I need to discuss with you."

Sensing the seriousness in her mother's tone, Blair frowned slightly. "What?"

Before Eleanor was able to respond, Lily's cell phone began ringing and she answered it on the fourth chime.

"Lily Van der Woodsen," she said with a smile as Rufus moved to stand beside her.

Her silence made the small group of people turn to face her. As Blair watched in confusion, Lily's face suddenly turned pale and she stumbled a couple steps back.

"Lily, what's wrong?" Rufus asked her worriedly.

She slowly lowered her phone to her waist and stood in shocked silence.

"Mom?" Serena asked, walking her way and holding her hand in support. "What is it?"

Through the crowd of people around them, Lily's eyes rose from the ground and landed on Blair. The moment their eyes locked, Blair felt as if her entire world had collapsed.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Opening her eyes, Blair blinked through the bright lights overhead. She was sitting on the cold hospital floor, her back pressed against the wall as she hugged her knees tightly. Sitting across from her on a row of chairs were Serena, Lily, Rufus, Eleanor and Cyrus. Eric and Nate were standing a few feet away, both engulfed by the same silence as everyone else.

When they had arrived on the fourth floor of the hospital, Blair had watched in numbed stillness as Lily fought with the staff for answers. When the nurses eventually managed to calm her down, Lily collapsed in the chair she was sitting in now and cried quietly in Rufus' arms. Blair had slowly made her way to her spot at the wall and had sunk to her feet on the floor. She was surprised at herself for not having yet broken down but she was simply going through the motions as they waited for the surgeon to come to them with news.

Nate continuously watched Blair from across the hall, but stopped himself from going to her. Even though she wasn't crying, he could see heartbreak flashing through her eyes. It was then that he realized just what had almost happened between them earlier. He hated himself for hurting his best friend like that, even if he _was_ cheating on Blair. What made it worse was that Chuck had been shot while Nate was busy kissing _his_ girlfriend. Letting out a sigh, he vowed to make things right between the three of them no matter what the cost.

A sudden movement caught the corner of Blair's eyes and she looked up just in time to see the same red-haired girl from before walking towards them. Her face was lowered and she walked unsteadily, as if she were in a daze. It was when she was only a few feet away that Blair noticed the stains on the girl's hands and clothes. Realization as to whose blood it was made Blair's blood run cold.

Looking up, Jane's eyes instantly locked with Blair's and she stopped dead in her tracks. They stared at one another in silence before Serena rose to her feet and walked towards her.

"Who are you?" she asked, her eyes numb from the tears she had surprisingly shed for her step-brother.

Looking away from Blair and to the girl in front of her, Jane sighed quietly.

"No one," she whispered, her voice almost cracking.

"You found my son?" Lily suddenly asked, having found her voice as she approached them.

"Yes," Jane said with a sad nod.

"Where did you find him?" Lily continued as Rufus held onto her arm in support.

"In an alleyway between East 116th and Third Avenue," the girl replied quietly.

"What was he doing there?" Lily cried as her tears returned.

Blair continued to stare at the girl and for the first time all night, she realized that things weren't as clear cut as they had appeared. Just as Jane was about to reply, the surgeon stepped out of the operating room and walked towards them.

"How is he?" Lily demanded, rushing towards him.

Blair slowly rose to her feet and as she watched the emotions play out on the surgeon's face, she felt her heart stop beating.

"He was shot in the chest, just below the left breast. There was no exit wound and he had a lot of internal bleeding but we managed to stop the hemorrhaging and removed the bullet."

Sensing his hesitation, Lily took a step closer to the doctor.

"What aren't you telling me?" she demanded as all eyes landed on the man.

"He went asysytole and coded twice on the table," the man explained.

"But he's alive?" Blair finally found her voice as she moved to stand beside Lily.

"Yes, he's alive," the surgeon replied and Lily let out a cry of relief. "But the hard part isn't over yet."

"What do you mean?" Serena asked worriedly.

"Due to the amount of blood loss that he suffered from, he's in a coma right now. It should only be temporary but the next twenty-four hours will be extremely critical," he explained before sighing. "Also, there is the matter of paralysis."

"What?" Lily asked in surprise.

"The bullet hit his spinal cord which caused his nerves to become disconnected. We did our best to repair the damage but there's a chance that he could be paralyzed from the waist down."

"Will it be permanent?" Serena asked quietly.

"We can't say for sure right now," the doctor replied. "If and when he wakes up, we will run a series of tests that will give us a definite answer."

Blair took a small step back, the shock of everything still with her.

"He's been moved to an ICU room down the hall if you wish to be with him," the surgeon finished before walking off in the opposite direction.

"I need to see him," Lily said through her tears as she and Rufus took off down the hall.

Serena and Eric quickly followed with Blair close behind. Once Lily reached the door, she pushed it open and walked into his room. Chuck was lying peacefully on a bed, dressed in a hospital gown with his eyes closed and a series of wires connected to machines around him. Two nurses administering his medicine stood quietly beside his bed and pulled the thin blanket up to cover his peaceful figure.

"Oh God," Lily cried as she walked towards the bed.

The nurses stepped away and left the room to give them some privacy as Lily took Chuck's hand in hers.

"Charles, we're here with you," she exclaimed as Rufus placed his hand on her back. "Everyone's here and we'll be here when you wake up."

Unable to say anything further, she moved to embrace Rufus as Serena and Eric walked towards the bed.

"Look at him," Eric said quietly, the tears streaming down his cheeks. "He looks so peaceful, almost…"

"Don't," Serena said and pulled her younger brother into her arms. "He's going to be okay."

Hearing their voices from outside, Blair took a deep breath and walked into the room. With her eyes focused on her feet, she moved to stand on the empty side of his bed and finally looked up. The moment her eyes landed on Chuck, a heartbreaking cry escaped her throat. Shaking uncontrollably, she collapsed over him and tightly clinged onto his unconscious body. With tears bursting out of her eyes, her hysterical cries were the only sound in the room. Leaving her brother's side, Serena rushed towards Blair and pulled her away from Chuck, enveloping her into a tight embrace. Her knees suddenly gave way beneath her and both girls fell to the ground.

"It's going to be okay," Serena promised quietly, but Blair was too heartbroken to hear her words.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Staring outside the window, Blair watched as the gentle raindrops descended from the dark sky. Sighing heavily, she walked away and moved towards the bed. Despite their heavy protests, Rufus had taken the others home to rest. Blair had elected to stay behind and Eleanor and Cyrus and agreed to stay with her.

Taking a deep breath, Blair looked down at the boy, the man who owned her heart and smiled sadly. Sitting on the side of his bed, she reached down to touch the side of his face but pulled back at the last second, afraid of hurting him. She continued to gaze down at his peaceful face as a new wave of tears suddenly formed in her eyes.

"Come back to me," she whispered, leaning down towards his ear. "I'll forgive you for anything and everything. Just please come back to me."

Desperately wanting to connect with him, she leaned down and gently pressed her lips against his. Receiving no response, she pulled away and clasped her hand over her mouth to silence her tears.

"Blair," a voice interrupted her and she looked up to see her mother and Cyrus at the door. "Will you come with me into the hallway for a minute?"

"I'm not leaving him," she said firmly, wiping away her tears.

"Cyrus will stay with him, sweetheart," Eleanor assured her.

Reluctantly rising to her feet, she gazed at Chuck one last time before following her mother outside. Moving towards the first set of chairs she saw, Blair sat down in exhaustion and buried her face in her hands as Eleanor sat down beside her.

"The police have been asking questions all night, but no one knows what happened," she began as Blair sat back in her seat and leaned against the chair. "But I think I know what happened."

"What do you mean?" Blair asked, facing her mother with a slight frown.

"Oh sweetheart," Eleanor began, her voice beginning to crack.

"Mom, you're scaring me. What do you know?" she pleaded.

Sighing heavily, Eleanor sat back in her seat and shook her head.

"It's about your father," she began.

Not expecting that response, Blair turned in her seat so she was fully facing Eleanor.

"What do you mean? What about dad?"

"Ramon called me a couple months ago to tell me that he and your father had ended their relationship," Eleanor began to explain, but kept her eyes focused on the wall across from her. "He and your father were going to all these parties and Harold started mixing with the wrong crowds. He became addicted."

"To what?" Blair asked innocently.

Gazing at her daughter sadly, Eleanor took her hand in hers and squeezed it tightly.

"Heroin," she replied and Blair looked as if she had seen a ghost.

"What? No! I don't believe that!" she exclaimed, pulling her hand out of her mother's grip. "Daddy would never do something like that."

"It's true, Blair, and that's the reason why Ramon left him. Your father refused to get any help and Ramon couldn't handle it anymore so he ended things between them," she continued. "But after some time, he couldn't reach your father and he was afraid of what he might do. No one has heard from him in weeks."

"I don't believe this," Blair said and rubbed her tired eyes. "What does any of this have to do with Chuck?"

"He overheard a conversation I was having a while back and he called me on it. I didn't want to involve him in anything but he was quite adamant so I told him the truth," Eleanor explained. "He promised he would do everything he could to find your father."

As realization slowly dawned upon her, Blair inched away from her mother.

"You mean, he's been looking for dad all this time? Every time he couldn't spend time with me and lied that it was work, he was trying to find dad?" she asked.

"Yes, sweetheart," Eleanor said quietly.

"Oh God," Blair cried and clasped her hand over her mouth, memories of her kiss with Nate rushing back to her with full force. "He didn't cheat on me?"

"What are you talking about, Blair?" Eleanor asked with a frown.

"I saw him getting in his car earlier tonight with a girl, the same girl who was here earlier…the one who had blood on her hands and clothes…," she said and looked up startled, finally understanding.

"No, he wasn't cheating on you," a voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

Having changed into fresh clothes, Jane slowly took a seat across from them.

"I'm your father's supplier here in New York," she explained quietly as Blair stared at her in shock. "Your boyfriend found me and convinced me to help him find your father."

"What do you mean, he convinced you?" Blair asked, having found her voice.

"He told me how difficult it was for him when he lost his father last year and that even though he continued to hurt you and push you away, you stayed with him and you loved him and took care of him," Jane explained. "He said he didn't want you to go through anything like that ever again."

Looking down guiltily, Blair shut her eyes and allowed her tears to fall.

"We saw you father the other night but he was too stunned or ashamed to see Chuck that he took off. When you saw me getting into his car earlier tonight, it's because Harold contacted me and wanted to meet with Chuck. That's why I was with him and that's where we were going," she continued.

"Did you find him?" Eleanor asked, sitting up in her seat.

"Yeah, we did, but he wanted to talk to Chuck alone," Jane replied. "His driver and I went back to the car and we waited. Maybe five minutes later, we went back to the alley to look for them and that's when we heard a gunshot."

Shutting her eyes again, the tears continued to stream down Blair's cheeks as Jane watched her with sympathy.

"Where did you find him?" Blair asked in a voice both lost and afraid.

"He was sitting on the ground, his back against the wall, and his cell phone was beside him," Jane explained before sighing. "We called 911 but he was already unconscious."

"No," Blair said as she jumped to her feet.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart," Eleanor said and got up after her. "I should have told you. Charles kept begging me to tell you but I just couldn't. I couldn't break your heart like that."

"Don't you understand?" Blair cried as she faced her mother. "I thought he was cheating on me! I thought he was breaking my heart!"

"Blair, I'm so sorry," was all Eleanor was able to say.

Turning around, she rushed into his room as Eleanor followed her. Crawling next to Chuck on the bed, Blair clung to his body tightly and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"I'm so sorry," she cried, her tears streaming out of her eyes at an alarming rate. "I love you so much."

As Eleanor and Cyrus watched in silence, Blair leaned up on her elbow and began placing butterfly kisses all over his face. Giving them their privacy, the two adults turned and walked out of the room as Blair pressed her lips against Chuck's forehead.

"I love you," she cried, the words coming out in broken pieces.

Shutting her eyes, she held the sides of his face and kissed him as her tears fell from her face onto his.


	19. Chapter 19

Thank you guys so much for all of the reviews! I appreciate any and all feedback :)

Chapter Nineteen

Opening the door quietly, Serena walked into the room and stopped beside the bed. Sighing sadly, she gazed at her best friend who was lying on the bed next to Chuck, holding his hand in hers.

"Blair," Serena whispered.

Lifting her gaze, Blair acknowledged her friend before gazing back at Chuck's peaceful face.

"Any change?" Serena asked.

"No," she replied quietly.

"Blair, why don't you go home and change, clean up and maybe rest for a bit?" Serena offered. "I'll stay with him."

"No," Blair repeated and tightened her hold on him.

"Have you had anything to eat?"

"The nurses brought me some food this morning," she replied, intertwining her fingers with Chuck's again.

Looking towards the small table at the end of the room, Serena noticed a tray of untouched food and sighed once more.

"Did she tell you?" Blair asked, refusing to meet Serena's eyes.

"About your dad? Yeah, your mom filled us in," she replied and removed a loose strand of hair out of Blair's face. "I'm really sorry, B"

"You were right," Blair began and looked up at her friend, tears forming in her eyes. "All this time, he was looking for my father."

"I'm sorry," Serena repeated.

"I was so quick to suspect him as if the past five months meant nothing," she cried. "He has to wake up, Serena. I can't lose him again."

"He will, I promise," Serena tried her best to assure her, but even she was unconvinced. "Sweetie, come on, why don't you just go home for an hour?"

"No," Blair said with a shake of her head before lying back down and closing her eyes. "I'm not leaving him."

Nodding sympathetically, Serena walked into the hallway where Eleanor, Lily and Rufus were all waiting.

"She won't leave."

"What have I done?" Eleanor exclaimed, clasping her hand over her mouth. "If I had never allowed him to get involved, none of this would have happened."

"Eleanor, it's not your fault," Lily comforted her friend. "I've gotten to know Charles more and more the past couple years and I can tell you that that one thing is for sure and that's how deeply he loves your daughter. Even if you hadn't involved him, he would have discovered the truth one way or another and gone off on his own to find Harold."

Smiling sadly, Eleanor nodded before rubbing her tired eyes.

"Come on, why don't we go downstairs and get some coffee?" Rufus offered.

Glancing at the room once more, Eleanor turned and followed the others down the hall. Once he was sure they were gone, Nate entered the hall and began making his way towards the room. Taking a deep breath, he peeked inside and what he saw made his heart break. He watched in silence as Blair leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Chuck's forehead while Chuck remained deep in his coma. Running a hand through his hair, Nate let out a sigh and backed away from the room. With nothing but guilt showing on his face, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked away, his head lowered in a mixture of pain and regret.

Hours had passed when Blair eventually opened her eyes. Blinking through the darkness that surrounded her, she rubbed her eyes until they had adjusted to the shadows. Glancing over at the clock on the table beside the bed, she sighed when she realized it was three in the morning. Chuck had been in a coma for over twenty-four hours, but nothing had changed. Lifting her hand to the small lamp attached to the wall overhead, she lit it quietly and watched as the dim light covered the room. Even though she was beyond exhausted, she wouldn't allow herself to fall asleep. Instead, she cuddled closer beside him and took his hand in hers.

"Have I ever told you what it is that I love about you?" she asked aloud.

When Chuck gave no response, she continued.

"There are a lot of things but I'll mention the more important ones," she said with a small smile. "I love your eyes. There's so much emotion in them and they often give you away. They're the first things I noticed about you that night in the back of your limo, the night that started it all."

Thinking back to that certain memory, she let out a small laugh.

"It feels like such a long time ago," she remembered. "You were giving me a ride home after I had danced on stage at Victrola. You told me I was amazing and I leaned in to kiss you. You leaned back and asked me if I was sure and that's when I first noticed the softness in your eyes. The moment our lips finally touched, something about it felt so right. That leads me to number two…how gentle you were with me that night."

Smiling at the memory, she snuggled even closer to him.

"With the reputation you had, I knew you'd be good at sex but I never figured you'd be gentle and tender. I sort of flattered myself by thinking you were only that way with me," she said with a soft smile. "If I'm being honest, I think that's when I first fell in love with you, that night in your limo. You treated me so differently from what I had envisioned and you made my heart beat as if it was finally alive."

Tracing small circles on his stomach with her free hand, her voice turned quiet.

"And then the Cotillion came and everything changed. I slept with Nate partly out of spite but mostly because I was afraid of the feelings I had for you and the power you seemed to have over me," she explained. "It took us a long time to finally get it right. Thinking back, I somewhat hate myself for wasting so much time with Marcus even though you deserved my wrath."

Her voice turned even quieter as another memory flooded her mind.

"When your father died…I don't think I've ever been that afraid before in my entire life until now," she said as the tears began to reappear. "When you showed up in my room that night, you were so broken and sad that all I could do was hold you. Even when you disappeared for a month without a word, I wanted to hate you but I couldn't. I tried distracting myself with Carter and Nate, but you were always there. You were constantly on my mind and no matter how hard I tried to move on, I couldn't let you go."

Wiping a single tear away, she smiled.

"When I saw you standing there, waiting for me holding flowers, my heart skipped a beat," she exclaimed. "I didn't know why you were there or what you wanted from me but then you suddenly said those three words and it was as if the past didn't matter."

Sighing, she tightened her grip on his hand.

"I'm so sorry that you're hurting," she cried and rose onto her elbow to gaze down at him as her tears began intensifying.

Holding the sides of his face, she took a deep breath.

"I need you to wake up so I can hold you and kiss you and tell you how much I love you because I do. I love you so much that it hurts. You're a part of me and my heart will always be yours."

Suddenly sensing movement, she bit her tongue and pulled slightly back. With her mouth wide in shock and her eyes wet with tears, she watched in silence as he struggled to wake up.

"Chuck?" she exclaimed, her voice breaking.

"I love you too," he whispered, his eyes still closed.

Crying out happily, she quickly leaned down and placed a desperate kiss on his lips. As he inhaled deeply, she placed a flutter of kisses on his face before leaning back when she heard him groan in pain.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, the worry in her tone apparent. "Let me go get a doctor."

"No…wait," he whispered, his voice still coarse, before opening his eyes and focusing on her face. "Stay with me for a bit…let me hold you."

Without any hesitation, she lied back down and placed the side of her head on his chest, careful to avoid the bandages as he weakly wrapped his arms around her. Releasing the shaky breath she had been holding, she closed her eyes and listened to the gentle beating of his heart.

"You came back," she said quietly.

"We're Chuck and Blair, Blair and Chuck," he whispered before closing his tired eyes once more. "In case you don't know this yet, I'm in this for keeps."

Her tears suddenly erupted at his words and she buried her face in his chest, releasing all of the worry, fear and exhaustion she was feeling at once.

"Don't cry," he said softly.

As she took comfort in his embrace, he slowly moved his head to place a kiss on her brow. Smiling through her tears, she closed her eyes and tightened her grip on his body before allowing the silence to engulf her.


	20. Chapter 20

**ana-12: I'm not sure how long this story is going to be…I'm kind of just writing it chapter by chapter and seeing where it goes…I guess I'll write as long as you guys want me to :)**

Chapter Twenty

Opening his eyes slowly, Chuck stared up at the white ceiling above his head and blinked his tired eyes awake. Groaning quietly, he licked his dry lips before looking down to see Blair fast asleep in his arms. Despite the pain it caused him, he couldn't help but smile at her. After a few minutes of simply watching her, he gently nudged her with the hand that had the IV pressed into his vein. Immediately lifting her head, she rose up on her elbow to gaze down at him.

"Are you okay? What's wrong? Are you in pain?" she asked quickly.

His smile widened at her words before he took a loose strand of her hair between his fingers.

"You have funny bed hair," he said.

"So do you," she said with a smile, her nerves gradually calming down.

"Kiss me," he whispered.

"No, I should brush my teeth first," Blair came to say when he cut her off.

"I think we're past that," he said, pointing to himself lying in the hospital bed.

Smiling despite the sadness she felt at being reminded, she leaned down and pressed her lips against his. As soon as she had leaned forward, she leaned back just as fast causing him to frown.

"Come on, I need a better kiss than that," he said and weakly wrapped his arms around her.

"No, I don't want to hurt you," she replied, shaking her head.

"Blair, I almost died. Cut a guy some slack," he said.

His smile immediately disappeared when he saw the hurt look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and she shook her tears away.

Leaning down, she held the sides of his face and kissed him more eagerly. Eventually pulling away, she sighed and rose to her feet.

"Is that the dress I bought you?" he asked, refusing to let her hand go.

"Yeah," Blair replied with a small smile.

"I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to see you in it."

"Don't apologize," she said before kissing him again. "I'm going to go get your doctor and everyone else. They came in earlier but you were asleep so they didn't want to disturb you."

Nodding, he released her hand and watched as she walked out of the room. The moment she was gone, the expression on his face changed and it was replaced by one full of pain. Shutting his eyes, he took a deep breath and placed his hand on his chest, over the bandages. When he heard the sound of footsteps approaching, he shook the pain off and opened his eyes, plastering a small smile on his face.

"Charles!" Lily exclaimed as she ran to his side and embraced him. "I was so worried!"

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Please don't ever put yourself in a situation like that again," Lily plead with him, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "You're like a son to me, do you understand?"

Nodding at her, he smiled when she leaned down and kissed his cheek. Pulling away, she took a step back to allow Serena and Eric to approach him.

"How are you feeling?" Eric asked worriedly.

"Like I've been shot," he said with a small chuckle.

Blair looked away at his words and used every bit of strength she had not to cry.

"Stop joking," Serena said before hugging him. "If anyone would have told me last year that I'd be worried sick for you, I would have laughed in their face."

"And now?" Chuck asked, raising one of his brows.

"It's still funny," Serena said with a smile. "But I'm so happy that you're okay."

Before she was able to say anything else, a tall, middle-aged doctor walked into the room.

"Mr. Bass, how are you feeling?" the man asked as he stepped in front of Serena and Eric to examine Chuck's chart.

"Alright, I guess," Chuck replied as Blair moved to his side and took his hand in hers.

"Do you remember what happened to you?" the doctor asked, placing the chart down and stuffing his hands in the pockets of his lab coat.

"I was shot," Chuck replied simply before frowning. "How long was I out for?"

"A little over twenty-four hours," the doctor replied. "Do you have any pain anywhere?"

"My chest hurts a bit but nothing too bad," he lied before giving Blair an assuring smile that she returned.

"You were shot just below your left breast. We managed to get the bullet out without too much difficulty."

"What's 'too much difficulty'?" Chuck asked with a frown.

"You were bleeding pretty heavily and coded on the table a couple times, but you have a strong heart and you fought to stay alive," the doctor said with a smile.

Lifting Blair's hand to his mouth, he kissed it softly before pressing the back of his head against his pillow as she watched him with tearful eyes.

"What matters is that you're alive," Eric said with a smile before walking to the foot of the bed.

Just as he was reaching the end, his foot caught hold of a wire and he tripped straight onto the bed, throwing his entire weight over Chuck's legs. As Lily helped him to his feet, they looked up to see Chuck staring up at the ceiling, completely unfazed.

"Chuck?" Blair asked with a frown.

Looking down at her, he frowned. "What?"

Sensing that something was amiss, the doctor moved past Eric and Lily and stood at the bottom of the bed. Lifting Chuck's left leg, he removed his pen and slowly drew a line down the front sole of his foot.

"Did you feel that?"

"No," Chuck replied before immediately losing his smile.

Lifting his right foot, the doctor repeated the same procedure and Chuck shook his head once more.

"Why can't I feel my legs?" he asked, worry creeping into his voice.

Turning towards the people in the room, the doctor cleared his throat.

"Can everyone please excuse us for a few minutes? There's some things I need to go over with Charles," he exclaimed.

"Why can't I feel my legs?" Chuck asked again, releasing Blair's hand and forcing himself to sit up despite the pain he was feeling.

"Please," the doctor said and motioned towards the door.

With a look of worry on their faces, Lily, Rufus, Serena and Eric turned and walked out of the room.

"I'm not leaving," Blair said firmly as the doctor sighed and faced Chuck.

"The bullet was lodged against your spine and in many cases like this, the damage done may lead to paralysis," he explained as Chuck sat in shock. "Now, it could only be temporary. We're going to run a series of tests to get a more definite answer. For now, I ask that you try not worry and get as much rest as you can."

"What's the percentage?" Chuck asked, his eyes moving to his legs.

Holding back her tears, Blair wrapped her arms around herself and looked at the doctor with hopeful eyes.

"Nothing is definite and…"

"What's the percentage?" Chuck repeated, his voice angrier than before.

Sighing, the doctor changed his footing before answering. "With the amount of damage done to your spine, statistically there's a sixty-five percent chance that the paralysis will be permanent."

Nodding at his words, Chuck slowly leaned back in the bed before staring up at the ceiling once more.

"But there's a thirty-five percent chance that he'll be fine, right?" Blair asked, her voice on the edge of breaking.

"Yes, that's right. I'll have the nurses come and take you upstairs to begin the tests and once we have the results, we'll take it from there," he replied before facing Chuck. "By the way, the police are waiting outside. We contacted them when you woke up and they just arrived a few minutes ago. They have some questions about your shooting."

Turning towards Chuck, Blair noticed that he had shut his eyes and had clenched his fists.

"Can they give him a few minutes, please?" she asked quietly.

Nodding understandingly, the doctor turned and walked out of the room as Blair leaned down and brushed the hair out of his face.

"Chuck?" she said quietly.

The moment he opened his eyes, she was able to see the tears that had begun to form.

"Everything's going to be fine, I promise," she whispered.

Looking away from her, he removed his hand from hers and stared at the doorframe.

"Chuck, please," she begged him, unable to hold back her tears any longer. "Please don't push me away…not this time. Please, Chuck."

Hearing the desperate sadness in her voice, he slowly turned back towards her and gazed into her eyes. As she watched him nervously, he gradually opened his arms and she instantly embraced him with a sigh of relief. Holding onto him tightly, she leaned her face up and placed a kiss on his neck.

"Everything's going to be fine," she promised him again.

As silence surrounded them, Chuck stared up at the white ceiling above his head and for the second time in less than a year, he knew that things were far from being fine.


	21. Chapter 21

**Juicyxoxocharm16****: Thanks for the advice, I'll try and make future chapters longer :)**

**Chapter Twenty-One**

After ten minutes of lying in one another's arms, Chuck nudged her shoulder and Blair sat up.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"Can you do something for me?" he asked.

"Anything," she replied easily.

"Go home."

"What? No, I'm not leaving you," she argued.

"Go to my place, take a shower and sleep on my side of the bed," he said as she smiled wryly at him. "You're exhausted and I'm going to be busy with all the tests anyway."

"I'm fine," she lied, trying her best to maintain her smile.

"Please? I'll be here when you get back, I promise."

Sighing at his request, she reluctantly rose to her feet.

"I know," she suddenly said.

"Know what?" he asked with a frown.

"About my dad."

Sighing softly, he ran his free hand through his hair.

"My mom explained everything to me," she added.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want you to find out like this."

"Don't apologize, you have nothing to be sorry for," she said firmly. "I'm the one who's sorry for giving you such a hard time the past couple weeks. You were just trying to find my father."

"I wanted to tell you, Blair, but your mom wanted to wait. She was just trying to put it off as long as she could," he explained.

"I know," she said with a sad smile before looking down. "Did you find him?"

Seeing how hurt she was, he hesitated before answering.

"No," he replied and she looked up at him in confusion.

"But that girl said you did."

Before he could respond, a knock came on the door and they both turned to see a police officer walking in.

"I don't mean to interrupt, but my name's Officer Tom Wilkins and I need to ask you a few questions about the other night."

When no one objected, the man moved to stand at the foot of the bed before removing a pen and notepad from his pocket.

"Ma'am, would you mind waiting outside?" he asked, facing Blair.

"No, I want her here," Chuck cut him off and took Blair's hand in his.

"Alright, then why don't you start from the beginning," he began. "Mrs. Waldorf said that you were meeting her ex-husband, is that correct?"

"Yeah," Chuck replied, a hint of anger in his voice. "Eleanor told me last week that Harold Waldorf had become a drug addict and that no one had heard from him in weeks."

Blair looked down as he spoke, her move not going unnoticed by Chuck.

"My P.I found him and we managed to set up a meeting through…a friend," he explained.

"Is this 'friend' Jane Martin, the pretty red-head who accompanied you to the hospital with your blood all over her hands and clothes?"

"I guess so, yeah," Chuck said with a nod.

"So what happened next? Was Mr. Waldorf there?"

"Yeah, but he wanted to speak with me alone," he explained as the officer began scribbling notes onto the pad. "My driver and Jane went back to the car and Harold and I started talking. He got spooked and ran off and I chased him down the alley."

He paused briefly to gaze at Blair, who kept her eyes glued to the floor as waves of sadness came off her.

"Then what happened?" Officer Wilkins asked, breaking the silence.

"Nothing, I ran into a clearing and I think there was a fight or something happening. I'm not really sure. It all happened so fast and the next thing I knew, I was shot."

Blair looked away at the words, the reminder of how close she was to losing Chuck breaking her heart once more.

"Was Mr. Waldorf there?"

Chuck hesitated again and stole another glance at Blair.

"Was Harold Waldorf there?" the officer repeated.

"No," he finally said and Blair looked up at him in surprise.

"Did you recognize the person holding the gun?"

"No."

"How many people were there?"

"Two."

"And Mr. Waldorf wasn't one of them?"

"No," Chuck repeated.

"So you're telling me that your shooting was random and accidental by two people you had never met before?" he asked skeptically.

"I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," he replied with a shrug.

"Can you give me a description of what the two people looked like?"

"It was dark and everything happened so fast."

"Well, the problem here, Mr. Bass, is that I don't believe you," the officer began as Blair faced him in confusion. "There are too many holes in your story."

"Well, that's what happened," Chuck replied, staring straight into the other man's eyes.

"You expect me to believe that you went in search of a heroin addict," he began and Blair bit back her tears, "on the corner of East 116th and Third Avenue in _Harlem_ and you were accidentally shot for something completely unrelated?"

"It's the truth."

"Look, I get that he's your girlfriend's father and you want to protect her and maybe him too," he said and glanced at a silent Blair. "But you have to tell me the truth. What really happened?"

"I already told you what happened. Harold ran off, I chased him, lost him and ran into the wrong alley," he repeated, his voice even and strong.

When the cop stood unconvinced, Chuck let out an angry groan.

"Look, I almost died and I could damn well be paralyzed for the rest of my life," he snapped before swatting his legs. "Do you really think that I want to protect the son of a bitch who did this to me, family or not? If you do, then you don't know me very well."

The officer hesitated briefly before shutting his notepad.

"Alright," he said with a nod. "If that's the story you're going with, there's not much I can do to change your mind. We're still canvassing the area. If we find something or have any more questions, I guess I know where to find you."

With that, he turned and walked out of the room as they watched him go.

"Chuck," Blair exclaimed the moment the officer was gone. "Tell me the truth."

"I just did," he replied, his anger still visible.

"Chuck…"

"Look, I don't want to talk about it anymore, alright?" he snapped at her. "Just go home and get some rest. I need to be alone for a while."

Hurt by his words, she nodded and quickly left the room as he watched her go with a sigh. Releasing a frustrated groan, he slammed his fists onto the bed before gritting his teeth from the pain. Shutting his eyes, he gripped the blanket between his fingers as a wave of pain shot through his chest. Breathing unevenly, he opened his eyes just in time to see Jane walking in.

"You don't look too good," she said, moving to stand beside the bed. "Do you want me to get your doctor?"

"No!" he exclaimed and took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

She watched him for a long minute as he slowly relaxed before clearing her throat.

"Why did you lie?"

"I didn't tell the truth about you…"

"No, not that," she cut him off. "I mean, about Harold being there. You and I both know that he was."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said and rubbed his eyes.

"I saw him running off and leaving you there, bleeding," she explained. "So why did you lie?"

Chuck sat in complete stillness for a couple minutes, as a memory floated into his mind. He remembered the feeling of getting shot, the pain shooting through his body as he fell to the ground. He remembered the gang members running away before he looked up at Harold and asked him for help. What he remembered most clearly was Harold turning around and running away.

"Chuck?" she asked, getting his attention.

"There were five guys, gang members judging from their tattoos, waiting for me," he explained quietly. "Harold owed them thirty grand and he had told them that I could pay off his debt."

"What went wrong?" she asked as he faced her.

"You're not surprised that he set me up?"

"I told you…never trust an addict, even if you've known him your whole life or he's family," she reminded as he scoffed.

"Yeah, I realize that now," he said before his eyes focused on the white ceiling overhead. "I don't carry that kind of cash with me so I gave them my watch. The guy wanted more and then he pulled a gun on me. They heard my driver calling out my name and the guy pointed the gun at Harold. I don't know what the hell was going through my mind but I leapt forward to grab the gun from him."

Looking down, she took a seat on the chair beside his bed.

"The gun went off and they ran away."

"And Harold just left you there? You tried to save his life and he just ran off?" she asked and his silence was enough of a response for her. "So why'd you lie?"

"If I told the truth, then he'd be in even more shit than he already is."

"You have the rare gift of forgiveness," she commented.

"Who says I forgive him?" he said, the anger returning to his voice. "Even if I ever walk again, I got shot because of him and almost died because of him. As far as I'm concerned, he's as good as dead to me."

Turning his gaze back to the ceiling, he let out a quiet sigh.

"I did it for Blair."

Smiling wryly, she pushed a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Why did you lie about _me_?" she asked after a minute. "You could have easily told that cop who I was."

"I told you," he said and faced her. "Just because my bank account has more money than yours, it doesn't mean I don't know what it's like to grow up alone, without a family."

"I thought you said your father died last year?"

"My relationship with my father ended the moment my mother died giving birth to me," he replied as she watched him in silence. "Good or bad, I want Blair to be able to have a relationship with hers."

"But it's based on a lie."

"I never said it was perfect," he replied. "But it's better for her to think the man she's loved and admired all these years is only an addict rather than an addict and a coward who left me bleeding on the ground."

Understanding his train of thought, she nodded absently just as an elderly nurse walked into the room.

"Hi honey," she said with a sweet smile. "My name's Ellen and I'm here to take you upstairs to the fifth floor for your tests."

Nodding, he turned towards Jane for a final time.

"Stick to what I said," he whispered.

Nodding in agreement, she stepped back and watched as the nurse wheeled him into the hallway.

Walking into Chuck's suite, Blair closed the door and made her way towards the bedroom. Once she was inside, she slowly began removing the dress off her body. Placing it on the bed, she removed her earrings and jewelry before walking into the bathroom. Turning on the hot water, she stepped into the shower and pulled the curtain to the end. Moving under the shower head, she allowed the hot water to cover her body before clasping her hand over her mouth. Her knees suddenly gave way beneath her and she shrank to her feet. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she pressed the side of her face against the cold tiles and shut her eyes to hold back her tears.

After thirty minutes, Blair eventually made her way back to the bedroom and dried her body off. Walking to one of Chuck's dressers, she pulled open a drawer and removed his silk pajama top and bottom. Lifting the cloth to her nose, she inhaled his scent before lowering her hands and wearing the clothes. Walking towards the bed, she stood on the left side where he normally occupied and slowly sat down. Leaning down on the bed, she curled her legs beneath her and clutched her hands at her chest. Unable to hold back her tears any longer, she shut her eyes and let out a painful cry.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

It was past two in the afternoon when they wheeled Chuck back into his room. Having arrived just minutes ago, Serena made her way down the hall when she suddenly spotted Nate hovering outside Chuck's door.

"Hey," she exclaimed and he turned around and walked towards her. "What are you doing here?"

"He's my best friend, Serena," Nate replied. "I wanted to see how he was doing."

"Your best friend?" Serena asked, crossing her arms at her chest. "You haven't been acting that way."

"Look, I know what I did was wrong, okay? I get that," he began.

"No, you look," she cut him off. "Chuck almost died and now that he's awake from his coma, he could be paralyzed. He's going through a lot right now. If Blair chooses to tell him what happened, it's her choice. But if she doesn't, don't you dare say a word."

"I want to make things right, Serena," he said quietly. "I can finally see how much she loves him."

"Some things are better left unsaid," she replied. "Do yourself and your recovering _best_ friend a favor and keep what happened quiet."

With that, she walked past him and entered the ICU room, leaving Nate alone to his thoughts.

"Hey," she said with a smile as Chuck faced her.

Taking a seat in the chair beside his bed, she rubbed his arm in comfort.

"How are you feeling?"

"Not that great," he replied and placed his hand on his chest. "I feel like there's a truck sitting on me right here."

"You just had major surgery. I'm sure it's normal," she assured him but stopped when she saw the strain on his face. "Do you want me to get your doctor?"

Exhaling calmly, he shook his head.

"No, I'll be fine."

"You know, you don't always have to be so tough," she said with a small smile. "It's okay to admit that you're in pain."

"I'm fine," he repeated with a roll of his eyes. "Any word on Harold?"

"No," Serena replied, shaking her head. "Where's Blair?"

"She went back to my place to get some rest. I kind of snapped at her earlier."

"Why?"

"This cop showed up to take my statement and I just got angry," he replied before sighing.

"How are you feeling?" she asked after a minute.

"I just told you, I'm fine."

"No, I mean…," she began and touched his knee. "When will you get the results back?"

"Tomorrow," he said and looked away.

"Chuck, I'm sure everything's going to be fine," she assured him.

"Yeah," he said, not believing her words. "Have you seen Nate?"

"Why?" she asked worriedly.

"Well, I was shot and I'm in the hospital," he said with a frown. "I figured honor me with his presence."

"Yeah, you just missed him actually," she replied. "He was outside in the hall, coming to see you but he got a phone call from his mom and he had to leave."

"You're a terrible liar, Serena," he stated. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing," she said in defense.

He stared at her pointedly and she held her hands up.

"Really, I'm not lying."

Sighing, he realized he didn't have the strength to argue and shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey Chuck," she said as he faced her again. "I'm really sorry for what happened."

"Why are you sorry? You didn't pull the trigger."

"I'm still sorry nonetheless," she replied. "So you told the cops that the shooting was random and accidental?"

"That's the truth," he said with another shrug.

"Look who's lying now," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but the difference is I'm better at it than you."

"What does that mean?"

"It means as long as Blair believes what I told the cop is what _really_ happened, nothing else matters," he stated.

"Chuck!" she exclaimed. "What are you talking about?"

Ignoring her question, he stared up at the ceiling as she sighed.

"The shooting wasn't random at all, was it?" she asked as he lowered his eyes to his paralyzed legs.

Following his gaze, her eyes saddened.

"What really happened that night?"

"Nothing," he replied and rubbed his tired eyes. "Listen, thanks for the visit but I kind of need to be alone."

Understanding where he was coming from, Serena slowly rose to her feet. Giving him a final smile, she turned and walked out of the room as he watched her go. Once the echo of her footsteps had silenced, Chuck struggled to sit up in the bed. Clenching his fists, he pounded them against his legs again and again. Feeling nothing from the hits, he tightened his grip and pounded even harder. Realizing that his attempts were useless, he angrily pushed the tray beside his bed away and watched as the contents spilled onto the ground with a loud bang. Seconds later, the same elderly nurse from before rushed into the room.

"What's going on?" she asked worriedly as the machines began sounding off.

"Nothing," he said, shutting his eyes and leaning back. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, just calm down," she exclaimed and kept her eyes on the monitors.

As his heart rate and blood pressure slowly normalized, the nurse faced him with a sigh.

"I know you're going through a lot right now, honey," she said before cleaning up the items from the floor. "But you need to stay calm, alright? You just had major surgery less than two days ago. If you agitate yourself like that again, you could end right back in the O.R."

"I'm sorry," he repeated, his anger gradually disappearing.

Moving to touch his arm in comfort, the nurse offered him a gentle smile.

"You're a tough one, honey. Your heart refused to let go in the operating room. I have no doubt that your legs will do the same. Just give it some time."

Nodding at her with a smile that never reached his eyes, he looked away as the nurse left the room. Pressing the back of his head against his pillow, he stared up at the ceiling for several minutes before tears began to form in his eyes.

Dressed in a navy blue skirt with a white cardigan on top, Blair made her way towards his room but stopped when she saw his tears.

"Chuck?" she exclaimed, rushing towards his side. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head and sniffling.

"Don't tell me that. I know something's wrong," she cried worriedly. "Did you get the results back?"

"No, I won't know until tomorrow," he replied before smiling up at her and changing the subject. "Did you get some rest?"

"Yeah," she said absently.

"Did you sleep on my side?" he asked with a smirk and she nodded. "In my clothes?"

"Don't flatter yourself," she said as he chuckled lightly, the act causing a new wave of pain to shoot through his body. "I'm sorry, don't laugh."

"It's fine," he said before pulling her towards him.

Knowing what he wanted, she removed her shoes before lying down beside him with a smile on her face. Wrapping his arms around her, he closed his eyes as she listened to the gentle beating of his heart. They stayed in the same position for a while, neither bothering to speak as they took comfort in the silence around them.

"Move in with me," he finally said as Blair leaned up on her elbow in surprise.

"What?" she asked with a frown.

"When I get out of here, move in with me," he repeated. "I'm not saying because I need help or anything but…I just want you there with me."

"Are you serious?" she asked, not quite believing him.

"Yes," he said with another laugh.

"Chuck Bass taking a huge step towards commitment?" she said before raising one of her brows playfully. "Seems fishy."

"When I told you I was in this for keeps, I wasn't lying," he said and his words melted her heart. "Move in with me."

Blinking back her tears, she nodded before leaning down and pressing her lips against his. As his hands traveled up her back and his fingers buried themselves in her hair, Blair let out a soft moan before deepening the kiss. The heart monitor on his right instantly began spiking and Nurse Ellen burst into the room moments later.

"I'm sorry!" Blair apologized, looking down as her cheeks turned red with embarrassment.

"What did I_ just_ tell you?" the nurse began sternly.

"That was when I was angry," he said and pulled Blair towards him with a smirk. "I'm not angry now."

"Chuck!" Blair exclaimed and shook her head shyly.

"Young man, I will say this one more time," the nurse exclaimed, her hands on either side of her waist. "I can see that the two of you have…certain needs."

"Oh God," Blair said before burying her face in her hands.

"But those things will have to wait until you're fully recovered."

"Come on, I was shot and now I could be paralyzed," Chuck said with a laugh.

Turning towards him, Blair immediately lost her smile and the sadness she had been feeling quickly returned.

"Can't I get a break?" he continued.

"No!" Ellen replied before smiling. "I'm going to have my hands full with you, aren't I?"

Shaking her head, the elderly nurse turned and walked out of the room. Sensing Blair's sudden silence, Chuck placed his hand on her back and frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"I just forgot, that's all," she said, refusing to look at him.

"Forgot what?" he asked before pulling her face towards him.

"That you almost died," she replied, her eyes glistening over. "And what you're going through now. Please don't joke about that."

"If I don't joke about it, I'll get angry," he said quietly. "Last year after my father died, I wasn't just sad, Blair. I was very, very angry. That's why I left the way I did because I have a tendency to self-destruct and I didn't want to take you down with me."

"Would you have ever come back if Jack hadn't found you?" she suddenly asked the one question that had been eating away at her all year.

"I don't know," he replied honestly, his words breaking her heart.

"Well, that was then. It's different now. _I'm_ here now," she said and kissed him softly. "We'll get through this Chuck, I promise."

Lying back down in his arms, she intertwined her fingers with his and let out a sigh.

"Blair and Chuck, Chuck and Blair," he whispered before closing his eyes.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

Looking up at the ceiling, Chuck let out a heavy sigh before his gaze traveled down to his motionless legs. Before he could start feeling sorry for himself, Jane poked her head through the door with a smile.

"Are you up for some company?" she asked as he faced her.

"Yeah," he replied absently.

Walking inside the room, she took a seat on the chair by his bed.

"How are you feeling?"

"Paralyzed," he replied dryly.

Sensing that he wanted to change the subject, she cleared her throat.

"Harold called me this morning."

"What?" he asked with a frown. "When?"

"Just a couple hours ago actually," she answered. "He wanted to know if you were alright."

"What did you tell him?"

"That you had major surgery and you were recovering in the hospital," she explained. "I also told him that you might be paralyzed from the waist down."

Moving his eyes back to the ceiling, he sighed.

"And what did he say?"

"He asked me for product," she said quietly.

"No remorse?" Chuck asked, the sadness in his voice apparent.

"No, I'm sorry," she said and looked down.

"Is that it?"

"When I told him no, he hung up on me," she finished and he nodded.

"Son of a bitch," he whispered before growing angry. "That son of a bitch!"

Balling his fists at his sides, he pressed his head into his pillow with a frustrated groan. Taking a deep breath to calm his rage, he turned to see Jane staring at him in surprise.

"What?" he asked with a frown.

"Your legs," she pointed out.

Quickly switching his gaze, Chuck's eyes widened as he slowly began moving his feet.

"Should I go get a doctor?" she asked, jumping to her feet.

All he could do was nod, unable to look anywhere else as she ran out of the room. Seconds later, his doctor from the previous day walked in with a wide smile on his face.

"Your friend tells me that you moved your legs?" he asked.

"Yeah, I can't really lift them but I can wriggle my feet," Chuck replied.

Moving to stand at the edge of the bed, the doctor lifted one of Chuck's feet and pressed down on his toes.

"Can you feel that?"

"Yeah," Chuck said, a smile forming on his face.

Doing the same with the other foot, the doctor looked at Chuck quizzically.

"I can feel that too."

"I guess we don't have to worry about those test results anymore," the doctor said as Chuck leaned his head back, relief all over his face.

"So he can walk again?" Jane asked, crossing her arms at her chest.

"I wouldn't push yourself too much right now. You're still recovering from surgery," the doctor explained. "But this is wonderful news and with the proper physical therapy, you should be able to walk in no time."

"Thank you," Chuck said as the man smiled and walked out of the room.

"Look at you," Jane said with a grin. "I think this is the first time I've seen you laugh since I met you."

"You're my future father-in-law's drug dealer," Chuck pointed out. "At exactly point was I supposed to laugh?"

"Alright, I'll give you that much," she said with a shrug. "Listen, I'll let you get some rest. If I hear anything else, I'll let you know."

"Actually, would you mind sticking around for a bit?" he asked as she faced him. "Blair went home to talk to her mom a while ago so I could use the company."

"Sure," she said with a genuine smile. "What do you want to do?"

"What do you mean?" he asked with a frown.

"Your legs can move again," she reminded him. "Want to go for a walk?"

"I can wriggle my toes. It doesn't mean I can stroll down the hall."

Thinking for a moment, Jane walked out of the room and returned moments later with a wheelchair.

"Come on," she said, pushing it towards the bed. "I'm sure you could use some fresh air."

Pushing the covers aside, Chuck gripped the wheelchair handle before looking up expectantly. Offering him a friendly smile, Jane reached under his arms and helped lift him onto the chair.

"You mind pushing me?" he asked, motioning the large IV stand that he had to drag with him.

"It's the least I can do," she said, wheeling him out of his room.

"Excuse me, young man," Ellen exclaimed, rushing towards them from the nurses' desk. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm dying in there," Chuck replied before touching his knees. "I can move my feet."

"Oh honey, I'm so glad," the elderly nurse said happily. "But where are you going?"

"I'm just going to take him down the hall for some fresh air and then I'll bring him back," Jane replied.

"Alright but be careful and no more than twenty minutes," she cautioned as Jane pushed his wheelchair away.

Walking into the hospital, Blair rode the elevator in silence to Chuck's floor.

"Blair!" a voice called her the moment she got off.

Turning around, she saw Nate running towards her and rolled her eyes.

"What do you want Nate?" she asked, letting out an exhausted sigh.

"I want to talk," he said and held his hands up when he noticed the look in her eyes. "Just talk, I swear."

Pushing Chuck down the hall, they suddenly came across Blair whose back was turned towards them. Seeing his best friend standing with her only a few feet away, Chuck motioned for Jane to pull him back.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

"Something's up with Nate," he replied. "That's the guy over there, talking to Blair."

"Who is he?"

"My best friend," he said before pressing his ear close to the edge of the wall so he could hear their conversation.

"And we're eavesdropping because…?"

"I've known these people all my life," Chuck exclaimed. "I can tell something's wrong."

Jane simply stood beside him and waved at any and all hospital staff that walked past them with curious looks in their eyes.

"Talk about what, Nate?" Blair said, the agitation in her voice rising.

"About the night of the charity," Nate replied. "The night Chuck was shot."

"I told you, I don't want to talk about it," Blair snapped before looking down.

A frown covered Chuck's face as he continued to listen, all thoughts of his legs leaving his mind.

"We kissed, Blair!" Nate exclaimed.

The second he uttered the words, Chuck leaned his head back with wide eyes. Having also heard the confession, Jane looked down at him awkwardly.

"And it was more than just a kiss," Nate continued. "We were making out pretty heavily on the sofa and it would have led to something more if you hadn't stopped it."

Shutting his eyes with a mixture of sadness and anger on his face, Chuck pressed the back of his head against the wall as Jane watched him in silence.

"But that's the point," Blair replied. "I _did_ stop it! I thought Chuck was cheating on me at the time but I still stopped it!"

"Blair, calm down," Nate said before sighing. "Look, I get that you love him. I'm not here to make things worse."

"Then what do you want?" she demanded.

"I want to make things right," he replied. "Chuck deserves to know, Blair."

"He's recovering from a gun shot wound and he could easily be paralyzed for the rest of his life!" she snapped. "I'm not going to go up to him and say 'oh honey, by the way, while you were meeting my drug-addicted father in an alleyway to try and convince him to come home, I was making out with your best friend'."

As Chuck opened his eyes, Jane was able to see the hurt that he was feeling.

"But you thought he was cheating on you," Nate tried to reason.

"Do you think Chuck will see it that way?" she exclaimed, tears forming in her own eyes. "He's going to feel betrayed and he'll have every right because that's exactly what I did. He only lied to me because my mom asked him to. Instead of trusting his love for me, I immediately suspected him. I thought the absolute worst of him and the fact that I had such little faith in us is killing me, Nate!"

"Take me back," Chuck said, his eyes focused on his feet. "I can't listen to this anymore."

"Alright," Jane agreed before pulling him away from the wall and leading him down the same hall they had come from.

"I love him more than anything, Nate," Blair continued. "I am asking you to let this go."

Pushing Chuck towards the window in his room, Jane moved to stand beside him.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone," he replied, his eyes focused on the images beyond the window.

"Alright," she said before touching his arm and walking out of the room

As Jane turned down the hall, her eyes locked with Blair's just as Blair entered the room.

"Chuck," she said before rushing towards him. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"I needed some air," he replied, facing her with a fake smile plastered on his face.

"How are you feeling?" she asked sweetly, brushing his hair with her fingers.

"About the same," he lied.

Sensing that he was distant, Blair kneeled down in front of him.

"Is everything alright?" she asked worriedly.

"Fine," he replied, his tone even.

"I just saw that girl leaving," Blair pressed him. "Did she have news about my dad?"

"No, she was checking to see how I was doing," he replied and faced the window again.

The coldness in his voice made Blair lean away, hurt.

"Can you do something for me?" he suddenly asked.

"Anything," she promised.

"I know you just got here but can you go and pick me up some clothes?" he said before pointing to the hospital gown.

Smiling at him, Blair nodded and rose to her feet.

"Do you want something from your place?"

"No, get me something new," he replied, smiling at her.

"You just want me out of here so I can stop fussing, don't you?"

"You read my mind," he said, his smile widening.

"Alright I'll do it but only because I love you," she said before leaning in to kiss him.

As hard as it was for him, Chuck forced himself to kiss her back. Moving away, she placed another kiss on the top of his head before turning to leave the room. Once she was gone, the smile from his face vanished and his eyes grew dark.

After two hours of searching, Blair finally selected the perfect silk pajamas before making her way back to the hospital. With the shopping bag firmly in her hand, she stepped off the elevator and made her way down the hall. She stopped dead in her tracks and lost her smile when she noticed Serena, Lily and Rufus standing outside Chuck's room.

"What's going on?" she asked, slowly approaching them.

"Blair, where have you been?" Serena exclaimed. "I've been calling you over and over."

"My phone was off," she replied as her breath got caught in her throat. "Why is everyone here? What's wrong?"

"Blair…," Lily began but couldn't find the right words.

"Is he alright?" Blair asked, trying her hardest to hold back her tears.

Serena hesitated for another moment before finally responding.

"Chuck checked himself out of the hospital an hour ago," she finally explained as Blair took a step back. "He's not at home and he isn't answering his cell."

"I don't understand," she said, glancing at the doctor standing next to Lily before turning back to Serena. "How can he do that? He can't walk."

"He started having sensations in his legs a few hours ago," the doctor replied. "He checked out of the hospital in a wheelchair."

"Where is he?" Blair asked.

"We don't know," Serena said quietly.

"But he's recovering from a gunshot wound," Blair said and faced the doctor again, the worry she was feeling shining through her eyes. "Is that even safe?"

"No, I'm afraid it's not," the doctor explained. "He can open his stitches or even suffer from internal bleeding."

"Then why did you let him leave?" she shouted at the older man.

"He checked out against hospital wishes," the doctor replied calmly. "He's eighteen years old. Legally, we couldn't stop him."

"But why?" Blair cried, facing Serena again. "Why would he do that? Why would he risk his life like that?"

"I don't know," Serena said with a sigh.

Moving past her friend, Blair ran into the room only to see an empty bed staring back at her. Searching around the room in silence, her lower lip began to quiver and tears started streaming own her cheeks as she dropped the shopping bag on the ground and clasped her hand over her mouth.


	24. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm on vacation right now and I won't be back until next weekend which is why I haven't added a new chapter yet. But I'll definitely update when I get back :)


	25. Chapter 24

**I'm back from vacation! Vancouver was really great and Whistler was even better. Thanks for being so patient :)**

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

Opening her eyes, Blair stared at the wall a few feet away from her and sighed. It had been four days since Chuck had discovered the truth about what had happened between her and Nate and checked himself out of the hospital. He was recovering from a gunshot wound and major surgery but the pain of her betrayal was far worse. She had searched through Manhattan high and low, but not a single person had heard from him ever since that day. It was as if Chuck had vanished into thin air, his disappearance similar to the year before after his father had died.

Rising to sit on her mattress, she ran a hand through her messy hair and let out a shaky breath. Crying herself to sleep every night, she was beyond worried that his weak body would suffer even further physical damage by leaving the hospital so quickly.

"Blair," Serena's voice interrupted her depressing thoughts.

Lifting her face, Blair stared at her friend with red, puffy eyes.

"Sweetie," Serena expressed, rushing towards her and pulling her into a tight embrace. "You have to stop doing this, Blair. You haven't eaten a single thing the past four days."

"It doesn't matter."

"Well, the news I have might change your mind," Serena began as Blair looked up, a small spark shining in her eyes. "Gossip Girl just sent a blast twenty minutes go. Chuck's back in New York."

"What?" Blair asked before jumping to her feet. "He's here?"

"Yeah, he just checked back into his suite," Serena replied with a sad smile.

As a huge grin covered her face, Blair rushed to her dresser and began fixing her hair and makeup.

"What are you going to do?" Serena asked, slowly rising to her feet.

"I'm going to go to him and apologize and tell him I love him," she replied, a newfound strength and courage in her voice.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No," Blair replied and spun around. "I need to do this alone."

Grabbing her purse and coat, she ran out of her bedroom as Serena watched her go. Within fifteen minutes, she was standing outside his suite, nervously staring at the door. Taking a deep breath and fixing her hair a final time, she raised her hand and gently knocked on the door. She heard nothing but silence before Chuck's quiet voice told her to come in. Biting her lower lip, she twisted the knob and pushed open the door. The second she was inside, her eyes caught hold of Chuck's and she froze. He was sitting on the sofa across from her, dressed in a black suit with a mop of unkempt hair on his head. He watched her without blinking as she closed the door, crossed the room and slowly approached him.

"Hi," she managed to say.

When she was a mere few feet away, she stopped and fully took in his features. His eyes were red and his body appeared exhausted.

"Where have you been?" she asked quietly.

His hard gaze was enough of a response and she bit her lower lip again.

"Have you checked in with your doctor?" she continued. "You disappeared for four days after having major surgery."

When he remained quiet, Blair closed the distance between them and sat down on the wooden coffee table in front of him.

"Chuck…," she began but he moved back in his seat and put distance between them.

Hurt by his move, Blair clasped her hands together on her lap and gazed at him through tearful eyes.

"I'm sorry," she cried as he looked down. "I was wrong and I hate myself for what I did. I thought that you were cheating on me but it's no excuse, I know that. I'm _so_ sorry. Do you believe me?"

"I know you're sorry, Blair," he said and finally looked up at her. "But sorry isn't enough."

"Then tell me what I have to do to fix it," she exclaimed, tears rolling down the sides of her cheeks. "Whatever it is, tell me and I'll do it."

When he didn't respond, she leapt forward and embraced him tightly. Whispering her apologies in his ear, she clung onto his body as he peeled her arms away.

"Blair, you made out with my best friend," he pointed out, his words forcing her to move back. "And not when we were apart or things between us were bad. We've been together in a proper relationship for over five months and at the first sign of trouble, you ran off with Nate."

"I know…," she cried but he cut her off.

"Two years ago after the Cotillion, when you and I got into a fight, you ran to Nate and slept with him. Last year, when things between us were bad, you ran to Nate again and had an actual relationship with him."

"I know…," she repeated, unable to say anything else.

"Last week, you got this crazy idea in your head that I was cheating on you and instead of confronting me, you went to him _again_," he continued before sighing. "When I was getting shot because of your father, because I was doing everything I could to help him for _you_, you and Nate were going at it again."

"I'm sorry," was all she could say.

"If this would have happened last year, I would have forgiven you because last year, I was a complete mess," he explained as they gazed into one another's eyes. "I was so afraid to commit myself to you that I left you to go to Tuscany by yourself. And when you returned and shoved Marcus in my face, I tried everything I could to get you back but things never seemed to work out. And then my father died and you told me you loved me for the first time. Hearing you say those words meant more to me than you'll ever know but my mind was all over the place, Blair. It wasn't until that moment when I stood by my car waiting for you, flowers and gifts in hand, that I was finally willing to give myself to you completely and I did. You had my heart, my soul and my body and what kills me more than anything isn't the fact that you cheated on me with Nate. I mean, that's just the cherry on top of the cake. What hurts the most, Blair, is that you had such little faith in me and in my love for you."

She listened to him speak, unable to form any sort of response as her tears continued to stream out of her eyes.

"I know that you're sorry," he said, his voice softening. "You asked me where I was the past four days. I went to Tuscany and rented the same villa I had gotten us two summers ago. I just sat there and I tried to come up with some reason why you'd do this and to tell you the truth, Blair, I couldn't come up with any. Have I given you any reason to doubt me these past few months other than what you thought I was doing behind your back?"

"No," she whispered.

"Then why the hell didn't you just come to me?" he snapped, his voice growing angry again. "Why didn't you yell at me or slap me?"

"We can get past this," she said weakly, but her own voice sounded unconvinced.

He stared at her for a long moment, taking a deep, calming breath before speaking.

"For the longest time, the only person I depended on was myself," he explained. "Bart and I never had a good relationship, I never had a mother or any siblings and my friendship with Nate was often rocky and one-sided. So it was just me…until that night in the back of my limo. And it was like I finally wasn't alone anymore. Chuck Bass, the proverbial Park Avenue bad boy with a laundry list of faults and sins…and I finally found someone who showed me that I wasn't destined to live the rest of my life alone. You did that, Blair. You gave me light when all I had was dark. You gave me a reason to carry on when all I wanted to do was drown myself in the cloud of misery and hate surrounding me. You pulled me over the edge when all I wanted to do was jump. You did that, Blair, and then you threw it all away. All those talks of trusting each other and not keeping any secrets were nothing but lies because when the crucial moment came, you _didn't_ trust me. The only difference between then and now is that now, I don't trust _you_."

"Chuck, I love you so much that it hurts…all the time," she expressed, unable to hold back her tears. "But when you left me to go to Tuscany alone, it broke my heart. When you refused to tell me you loved me at the White Party, it broke me in half. When you disappeared after your father's funeral, you tore me into a thousand pieces."

He looked down at her words, the sadness he was feeling showing in his eyes.

"I am so, so sorry for what I did," she cried. "But we've both done things that we aren't proud of."

"And where does that leave us, Blair?" he asked, the exhaustion he was feeling sounding through his words. "We keep hurting each other until there's nothing left?"

When she didn't respond, he shook his head and his face grew hard.

"You should go."

"Chuck," she cried, the pain in her voice breaking his heart.

"Just go," he repeated, a sudden coldness entering his voice.

Hurt by his rejection, she slowly rose to her feet and walked towards the door. Glancing back at him, she watched as he lowered his eyes and stared at the ground beneath his feet.

"I love you," she whispered before walking out of the suite and shutting the door behind her.

The moment she was gone, Chuck lowered his hands to his suddenly trembling legs. Leaning back in his seat, he pressed his hand on the sharp pain in his chest and released a shaky breath.


End file.
